True to Your Heart
by Creative Love Souls
Summary: If you had the chance to fight for the one you loved, would you do it? Would you risk everything to keep true to your heart? As two youths search for the answer, magic reigns, dragons scorn, and darkness seeks to steal that love away. UPDATES ON HOLD
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The silence of the sleeping village was interrupted by the thunderous sound of shouts and horses' hooves. Through the winding streets, soldiers pursued the criminals relentlessly; they could not be allowed to escape with such a dangerous prize.

"Amelda, hurry! Or we'll not make it!" a voice called out from the front of the group, brown bangs falling over blue orbs. The owner, a young man, was trying desperately to hold onto their precious cargo and control his horse at the same time.

"There's no point in making it if you drop that, Varon! You do your job and he'll do his," a second man spoke, short blonde hair and dark icy eyes glaring slightly at the other before casting a glance back at the others following behind them. "He knows what he's doing."

Amidst the chase, though still coherent, the last member of the group seemed to be in a world of his own. While blue-grey eyes were clouded over in thought, he still was able to control the steed he was riding and keep up with his two comrades. He knew that the other men, Raphael and Varon, were counting on him to do his job so that their mission would be a success, but he couldn't seem to take his mind off the puzzling predicament swirling inside his head.

Just _why_ was he a hired thief and mercenary?

That's right, he needed to live. So this was it? He would benefit and exist solely from destroying other people who had done no wrong to him? Where was the logic in that? Right now he couldn't help but feel disgusted with himself. He had never enjoyed this line of work, but apparently he was very good at it, which made him feel even worse.

While over the years he had grown to be a lot more accepting and passive about how he lived, he couldn't help but place himself as a hypocrite. He hated war; it had taken everything dear to him, and yet he was fuelling its continuation instead of trying to end it.

Yes, the endless battle between the Kingdom of the Magicians and the Kingdom of Dragons had been going on for as long as Amelda could remember. It had proceeded for so many centuries that no one was quite sure anymore what had started it in the first place. For most though, it seemed like it had always been the way things were, and always would be. Generation after generation had continued the war, and now two of the youngest rulers ever to fight, the Pharaoh of Magicians Atemu and the Dictator of the Dragons Seto, were locked in a bitter rivalry that would no doubt cause the end of both of them.

If he was honest with himself, if one had to win, letting victory go to the Pharaoh would probably be best. He would allow a much peaceful resolution and restoration of life. Of course Amelda could never voice this, especially since he was working for the opposition.

Dictator Seto was stern and arrogant, going to many methods to win. None of the group were that fond of him, but he paid them and that was all that mattered. It was hard for the others to understand why he went to such extremes and somewhat underhanded lengths for success. The Magicians took more care to be honourable in their battles and it seemed to work. At this point in the war, they were winning.

Many thought this would anger the dictator, but he seemed _calm_, almost smug about it. It no doubt had something to do with this great plot he was conceiving, which included the special artefacts that were kept in the Magician Kingdom. That was where Amelda, Varon and Raphael came in. It was their job to steal them and bring them back to Seto.

Of course, they had to escape first.

"Would you stop bloody daydreaming and do something?!" Varon screamed impatiently as the guards were now even closer than before.

Snapping out of his trance, the dim eyes of Amelda saw the Pharaoh's guards throwing spears from their horses, which the thieves barely managed to dodge. Another inch too close, and they all would have had the sharp wood piercing right through their bodies. The man knew what he had to do.

"Take the turn ahead, I'll finish with them," he called to his friends, who both nodded and sped up out of harm's way.

Each of the three members of the group all had their specialities. Raphael, being well built and strong, was a good fighter, and mainly handled close combat with anyone who got in the team's way. Varon, though rather overconfident at times, was not only fast and agile, but was cunning as well, especially with getting information out of people. Then of course, in case of a real emergency, the group needed someone who could think and plan a good escape, and was skilled enough to take on any number of problems for the sake of a mission.

That, was Amelda's job.

With quickness and precision, the man reached into his cloak and grabbed a small pouch, some thin thread, a hand-sized, metal weight and a small dagger. Carefully tying one end of the thread to the blade and the other to the weight, he knew he had to get the timing just right for the escape to work.

With a flick of his wrist, the pouch fell from his hand only to burst open on impact with the ground and release a choking purple powder into the air. The guards were coughing uncontrollably in the fog, unable to see anything else in the mist. While they were distracted, Amelda aimed the dagger and threw it towards a stone wall behind him. As planned, the weight made it dip downwards before embedding in the limestone, while the metal lump swung upwards and became caught between two tall wooden posts. Now, the thread was stretched all the way across the path of the soldiers.

When they finally escaped from the smog, confused and their horses out of control, they didn't see what was in their path. One by one, each large stallion tripped over the thread, crashing to the ground and bringing the riders with them.

While the commotion ensued, it was easy for Amelda to make a quick getaway, and rejoin his friends waiting on the outskirts of the city.

"Phew, could you have cut that any closer?" the cocky male panted, glaring lightly at Amelda when he finally caught up to them. "We almost got skewered there. Get your head the game please mate!"

"We're out now, so there's no need to get into a panic." The redhead shrugged, now not so tense, even smiling slightly at the sight of Varon's exasperated look.

"He's right, as long as we're out and we got it, that's what counts. It's still in one piece right?" Raphael asked, while the brunette unwrapped the treasure and let the cloth fall to reveal the golden prize. The awkward lump of metal had edges that twisted into curved shapes and gaps. Given a few more like it you could easily piece the flat slabs together, much like a jigsaw puzzle.

"Not even a scratch, we're good to go." Varon grinned cockily, finally placing the object in his saddlebag. "We best move, before the great master of ego gets impatient," he huffed dramatically, making the other two friends smile slightly.

As they galloped off toward the Temple of the Dragons, Amelda cast a glance back at the shifting sands of the other kingdom he had just left. The grains never stopped moving, never seemed to stay and settle in one place. He couldn't help but think that the Kingdoms too would never find rest, and that he himself, would always be moving, and never find a reason to make him content and stay.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Magicians was in an uproar. The report from the soldiers was, of course, not favorable. Not only had they been unable to capture the bandits, but they had crossed the border into the Kingdom of Dragons. The precious object that the Magicians had so dearly protected was now being delivered directly into the hands of the enemy, the cold-blooded Seto himself.

Around the palace grounds, the Pharaoh's servants murmured to each other, the drone of whispers tinged with worry. Rumors grew by the day about what kind of devious plans the Dictator had in store for the war.

The Pharaoh Atemu had taken the news of the theft calmly and with poise befitting a true king. Though it did much to assuage his subjects of their fears, there was still disquiet throughout the kingdom.

But it didn't seem to affect one magician that much.

A young woman by the society's standards, she had short brown hair and eyes of aquamarine, which sparkled with playful mirth on the best of days. But on this day, those eyes were clouded over, her tanned face dominated by a trancelike expression that commonly plagued daydreamers. She saw a flock of birds flying overhead before they landed on the palace walls, the walls that separated her from freedom. '_I wonder how it feels to fly…_'

"Mana!"

The familiar and stern voice brought her fanciful thoughts back down to earth.

She sighed and turned, then gasped and jumped in surprise, barely dodging a violet energy orb of electricity. "Master Mahaado!"

"Had you been paying attention, my tiresome apprentice, you would have learnt the spell for shielding." The man who spoke was tall, much taller than the girl, with long, dark hair and a composed face. He wore the golden and white robes of an advisor, one of the closest people to the Pharaoh. Folding his arms and fixing his student with one more severe expression, he added, "I suggest that you learn that spell quickly, lest you wish to be fried by dragon's breath."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Mana hurried to move back into position on the training field. Since the war outside made it too dangerous for mages to practice their crafts elsewhere, a large area was set aside within the palace complex.

She had grown up there ever since she was a little girl. Her parents… No one knew quite what happened. Nevertheless, ever since she was a child, magic had been recognized within her. Like most of the adolescent mages, she had yet to see true battle, but she was fast approaching the completion of her training, and it was the one thing she was not enthusiastic about. It meant that she had less time than usual to herself, and very, very few friends.

"Do you remember the incantation?" Mahaado asked, also moving into position across the field a few yards away. He was exceedingly patient with her sometimes, and it was only because he knew that she had true potential to become a great magician…if only she could keep her focus long enough to develop her skills.

"Yup!" Mana held out her hands, palms facing outward. "I'm ready!"

Her teacher nodded, murmuring his own incantation as she murmured hers. Then he threw out his right hand, sending out another ball of energy just in time to meet Mana's spell.

Which was not the correct spell. Instead of a shield, she summoned a little puffball Scapegoat, which Mahaado's spell easily destroyed. Though the magic was greatly lessened, the leftover particles still hit Mana and sent her flying backwards.

"Mana!" Mahaado raced over towards the fallen girl. "Are you all right?" But he realized that his concern had been a touch too reactive when he saw that Mana was curled up on the ground in a fit of the giggles. Her amusement was lost on him. "Mana."

"Isn't that funny how switching a few words in a spell can make such a silly mistake?" Mana sat up, a playful smile still shining on her face. "Who knew that the shielding spell is so close to the spell for summoning a Scapegoat? That's so…" Her laughter ceased when she saw a bit of anger cross Mahaado's face. As patient as he could be, Mana had the habit of wearing it thin.

"Silly is not the word I had in my mind. Do you know the word I am thinking?"

Oh, no. Mana knew that she had really crossed the line this time. "…Careless?"

"Exactly." Mahaado kneeled down next to her, while Mana adverted her eyes as a sign of respect to her master. "Mana, we live in a time of constant war. Our kingdom has known very little peace. We have only been able to survive because of the strength of our people and our magic." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do you understand? There can be none of these silly, _careless_ mistakes in battle. You must be serious."

Mana pouted, fighting hard not to be sad about his words. "I'm tired of the fighting! I wanna be free to do what I want without having to worry about the Dragon Kingdom anymore!"

"In order to continue to remain free, you must join the fight." There was no real heart in his words at the moment. This had been the oldest argument between them. Each knew the other's lines so well, yet still they talked.

"I wanna make friends and see the Kingdom and have an adventure!"

As usual, this was the part where Mahaado would cease the debate and order her to do more studying. This time, however, he simply helped Mana stand up and said only, "You have much to learn."

"That's what you always say!" she whined as he turned away.

Waving dismissively, he said, "I'll allow you this break for once, so do not waste it, Mana."

She grinned and began jumping up and down, her mood changing as quickly as a mirage. "Yay!" Then she ran off, in search for her own little piece of adventure, even if she couldn't quite fly beyond the palace walls to find it yet.


	2. Chapter 1: Lunar Warning

Chapter 1: Lunar Warning

As the moon slowly rose into the night sky, the light seemed to create a calming aura. However, appearances are deceptive, and the ring around the glowing orb clearly foretold something entirely different; a warning of great danger to come.

That was all on Amelda's mind as his gaze focused on the white sphere in the heavens far above. The light shinning through the temple pillars cast long shadows over the great stone floor, and the young man couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding at what lay ahead.

"Amelda, yo Amelda! Wakey wakey!" Varon goaded as he snapped his fingers in front of his friend's face. "Anyone home in there? Come on, we've got an audience with _dragon boy_ and you need to be awake. Show some respect."

"Then you better take your own advice Varon and call Dictator Seto his proper title instead of that nickname," Raphael scolded as he turned away to walk down the corridor towards the central altar of the temple, calling to the other two men without looking back. "Unless, of course, you want your head on a pike."

The cheeky male merely struck his tongue out at the other's retreating form before following suit, with the redhead walking behind him. Their footsteps echoed along the passageway as they continued on, before stopping just long enough for the guards to open the large bronze doors that lead them to the inner sanctum.

Upon entering, the torches bolted to walls cast eerie shadows behind them, but also illuminated the many carved dragon images on the walls. The beasts took many shapes and forms, but were all still terrifying enough to give anyone nightmares. However, they could not compare to the image above the high altar.

Though uncompleted, the golden tablet depicted another dragon much bigger than the rest of the images. The wingspan stretched along the entire length of the wall, claws spread aggressively, its long, scaly body curving from the tail right up to the three long necks attached to its shoulders. The heads were still missing, along with the slab of the chest where the heart would be.

"I trust you have brought me what I asked for," a commanding voice hissed, the figure standing in front of the altar turning away from the carved idol. He wore long ceremonial azure robes with a tall headdress that hid most of his brown hair. However, his icy blue eyes spoke enough for him: _Do not get in my way_.

The group knelt down in respect to the man, their heads bowed. After all, no one ever did anything to upset the Dictator of the Dragon Kingdom. They valued their lives too much.

"We have it here my Lord," Raphael spoke, holding out the golden slab. "Did you foresee our success, since you already knew we had the item?"

"No, I just knew that you wouldn't dare return here without it." Seto smirked, taking the treasure in his hands and carrying it back to the altar. He only had to mumble a few words in the ancient draconian language for the piece to rise by itself out of his grasp. It rose higher and higher, until it finally slotted into place on the wall, the image now revealing one of the three necks of the dragon with a head.

"Excellent. Only three more pieces, and then…" the ruler spoke, his cold eyes burning with determination. "The Blues Eyes Ultimate Dragon shall arise again!"

The Dictator laughed to himself in pride before beginning to utter more ancient draconian words. Once he spoke the incantation, the newly acquired tablet glowed lightly and in a sudden flash, a piece of parchment fluttered down to the floor.

Amelda had seen this many times over. Whenever a new part of the Blue Eyes was added to wall, Seto would repeat words he and his comrades couldn't understand, and every time, a clue would appear to reveal where the next artefact was hidden.

Picking up the parchment, the male walked down the altar steps and stood before Amelda. Without a word, he handed over the clue, as well as three pouches, which jingled as Seto placed them in Amelda's hands.

"That's your pay for your recent success, along with a little advance for your next mission. Now, find me the rest of pieces quickly. _I don't like waiting_," he stated firmly before turning around and waving a hand at the three thieves. That was always a sign they could leave, which they were always glad of. With a final bow, they retreated from the sanctum, the large doors slamming behind them.

"Wow, he's really getting anxious isn't he?" Varon chuckled once they were outside the temple in fresh night air. "Not so much as a thank you, cheek!"

"Shut up or you're not getting your share, moron," Raphael retorted, while Amelda handed each of them one of the pouches, their equal cut of the profit for the job.

Meanwhile, the silent member of the group was busy reading a verse on the parchment:

_Careful where you seek, danger lies ahead,_

_Beyond thy lands life, not lying on the bed._

_Your prize in the sun's protection, yet light shall never reach,_

_Under the wing, where a poor man chose to preach._

"Any idea what all that means Amelda?" the blonde asked as he read the clue. "With such an elaborate hint, I guess this next piece must be hidden somewhere not many would go to look for it."

"_Beyond the lands life_? What's that mean anyway? They couldn't just say where they put the damn thing…" Varon huffed, while Raphael rolled his eyes and glared at the brunette.

"Because they don't want any simpleton to wield such a powerful creature," Raphael retorted, leaving the shorter man to hold up his hands in defence.

"_Beyond the river_," a mumbling Amelda said, gaining the attention of the other two men. "The Great River is the life support of both kingdoms! Without it no one would be able to survive in the desert. And it has to be way past the river since it says it's '_not lying on the bed_'. It must mean the riverbed."

"So it's past the river," the cocky blue eyed thief muttered, pulling out a map quickly from his pack and gazing at it intensely. "That's means we're going back into the Magician Kingdom then?" he asked, to which the redhead began nodding.

"But where exactly, that's the question?" the largest man spoke.

Tapping his fingers on the paper, Amelda bit his lip in concentration, trying to think. There had to be something he was missing.

'_It says it's "in the sun's protection",' _he pondered._ 'That has to be a representation…or symbol of some sort…'_ he wondered, looking back at the sky above him to see the moon rising further in the sky…

"That's it!" he cried suddenly, giving his two friends quite a shock.

"What's it? What are you talking about?"

"I know what it means! _The sun's protection_!" he exclaimed, pointing to the sky. "Look, what does the moon mean to the Dragon Kingdom?"

"Well," Raphael muttered, looking at the glowing orb. "It's a symbol of their power. They attack at night when the moon is out because they're strong then…they draw strength from it."

"Exactly. And if the Dragon people use the moon as power, who do you think uses the sun?" Amelda asked his two friends, who suddenly displayed looks of realisation.

"The Magicians, of course!" Varon said, hitting his forehead for being so blind as not to see it. "So, it means they have the next piece of the dragon tablet, but where are they hiding it? Where is this place of '_protection_'?" he asked, looking at the other two…and watched a grin appeared on the grey-blue eyed man's features.

"What place is more protected, than Atemu's palace?"

* * *

There was unfortunately not much for the magician girl to do during her break. At first, she tried to speak with Pharaoh Atemu, whom she fondly called 'Prince', but he was busy discussing strategies with Mahaado and several other High Magicians. Then Mana tried to coax some of the servants to talk to her, but they were all busy preparing dinner. Of course, the guards were not allowed to speak while on duty, so she was once again alone.

Luckily, she did have something she could do. She "borrowed" a few scrolls from the palace library and innocently snuck out to the training grounds.

Located behind the palace was a small temple. It had been in disuse for quite a long time, since another temple had been built elsewhere for the commoners to worship. But for some reason, this place had not been taken down, the stones still left the same as they were. Not even the other mages cared to visit it, so Mana had more or less claimed it as her place to practice high-levelled, "forbidden" magic.

The spells in the scrolls were not really "forbidden" – they were just supposed to be too advanced for a mage to handle, not without a teacher's guidance. Challenging though this magic persisted to be, Mana was determined to learn as much as she could. In her mind, these spells would be able to protect her in battle, so that she wouldn't end up like her parents…

Upon entering the darkened sanctuary, Mana snapped her fingers so that tiny balls of light illuminated her path. There was no one else with her and nothing much inside but dust and old pieces of building material.

She smiled up at the statue of the Guardian of Magicians, which was the centrepiece of the temple. "Hello! Today is the day that I am going to figure out one of these spells!" She walked off to the side, to a cleared area with plenty of space for practice. "Master Mahaado will be so proud of me, won't he?"

As she took out a scroll from her pack, she sat down cross-legged on the floor. Then she unrolled the papyrus and concentrated on the symbols painted there, her lips forming the words without speaking them. Incantations were powered by the intentions of the magicians who spoke them. Without intention, without focus, the spell would collapse and take the magician's strength with it. So Mahaado was right about paying attention, but she didn't think that the simple spells were such a big deal.

And if she could use _these_ powerful spells, she wouldn't have to bother with the smaller ones.

Hours slipped by without Mana's notice. Even though her memorization of the spells became better, she still couldn't summon the magic to work for her. Eventually, her eyes started to droop and her back leaned against the wall.

"Just a few…more minutes," she yawned. The little magic lights faded. Then her mind drifted off into dreamland, her hand still clutching the scroll.


	3. Chapter 2: A Complication Unforeseen

Chapter 2: A Complication Unforeseen

Gazing around, the redheaded man took note of all the security surrounding the great stone fortress that was the palace of Pharaoh Atemu. Guards were stationed all around the perimeter of the outer walls. No doubt there would be more on the inside as well, heavily armed. Plus, the magicians themselves were a formidable force to be dealt with. There was usually at least one keeping watch in front of the main doors of the palace, but any sign of trouble, and it wouldn't be long before the entire army of mystic warriors at the Pharaoh's disposal appeared.

And that was only what could be seen. Hidden traps and snares were probably littered around the courtyard just in case the guards weren't quick enough. Not to mention the invisible trip wires made of magical energy would set off the alarm and have any intruder completely ambushed and outnumbered.

Yes, there was no other place with more protection in the Magician Kingdom.

'_This has to be where they're hiding the next piece of the tablet.'_ Amelda pondered, pressing his back against the wall as he watched the patrolling guards walk by without seeing him. He could only hope he was this lucky during the rest of the heist. Checking quickly to make sure no other soldiers were coming his way, he crept around the corner, before hunching down to the ground and letting his hands wander over the large slabs, trying to find a loose one.

He had already checked the map of the palace grounds Raphael had managed to acquire for them, so he was sure this wall was the right one. Varon had done his fair share the previous night, making small talk with one of the palace servants who was in town running errands, and had been persuaded by the brunette to have a drink with him. Needless to say, once he had got the guy successfully drunk (to the point he was lying nearly comatose in his wine jug) it was easy to get answers about the palace security.

Also, the man had accidentally let slip of the secret entrance through the western wall. Apparently when Pharaoh Atemu was still a young Prince, he and some young companion would use it often to sneak out to the marketplace. When they were finally caught, his father made the boy tell him where the passage was, and some servants had overheard the conversation, so it had quickly spread through the entire staff. However, due to the sudden rise in attacks from the Dragon Kingdom, which began at the time Dictator Seto first assumed his position, no one thought about blocking off the passageway.

This was a lucky break for Amelda, who otherwise would have needed to come up with a strategy to dodge all the guards posted at the entrances and get back out of the palace grounds without being seen. Nevertheless, this made things quite a bit easier.

All he had to do was get in, find the tablet, grab it, and get out, fast. Thankfully, Varon and Raphael were hiding in the grounds just outside the town in case anything went wrong.

While thinking all this, the thief realised the large stone slab underneath his hand was moving. Carefully, he continued wriggling it, and on seeing it was not set into the wall like the other blocks, proceeded to grip and pull it out of place. The task seemed impossible for mere children to do, but Amelda guessed that the stone was just wedged in tightly since it had not been moved for at least a decade. Slowly but surely, the brick was pushed to the side, and Amelda looked down the narrow dark tunnel dug inside the stone wall. With a final glance to make sure no one saw him, the blue-grey eyed mercenary crawled into the tight spot, taking time to push the key stone back into place.

Scratching and squeezing his way through the confining passageway, Amelda struggled to finally pull himself out at the end of the tunnel, a bit dirty and messy to say the least. He realised he probably should have taken time to make the hole a little bigger beforehand. After all, Atemu had used it last when he was only eight or nine years old. Needless to say, Amelda was a lot bigger, and hence found it harder to crawl through the hole.

Sighing, he decided not to let the mishap hold back the plan. As he gazed around, he noticed where he had come out was rather quiet; there was no one in sight. No guards, no magicians, not so much as the buzz of a fly in the warm night air to pierce the silence. He noticed finally that the palace was quite a distance away, but nearby, there was another much smaller building sitting at the corner of the courtyard, past the areas used by magicians for training. It looked like a temple, but it appeared abandoned, desolate, as if it hadn't seen a visitor in years.

This mind going back to the clue on where to find the tablet, Amelda remembered the third line that it was _'in the sun's protection'_ but where _'light shall never reach'_. How could the sun protect it if no light could shine on it? Quickly looking back at the sky, he remembered the sun had been high in the sky that day, beating down towards the front of the palace…

But wait! This place was at the far end of the grounds. And the palace itself was so tall…Yes!

Grinning, Amelda turned his head back towards the little temple to see he was correct. Even the moonlight wasn't reaching the temple because the palace was no large it cast the entire back courtyard in shadow. The Magicians' palace, the building used by all mages to worship and be granted power for their spells by the sun, was protecting the tablet, but at the same time, blocking out the rays of light from its hiding place.

The triumphant thief began to quietly move towards the small temple where the prize he was seeking was kept. Now only the last line of the clue remained, which would hopefully show where exactly the tablet was.

Once inside, his eyes widened at the large statue on the altar depicted the Magician's guardian spirit. It took up the whole width of the back wall, much like the Blue Eyes in the Dragon Kingdom, mainly due to the large wingspan. Craning his neck to look up, the mercenary once again thought back to the clue. Didn't it mention something about a wing?

However, Amelda snapped out of his trance on seeing a strange glimmer coming from underneath the statue. Kneeling down on the altar steps to get a closer look, he traced his gaze to underneath a wooden plank, the base of one of the old rotting pews. Inching closer, he looked back again to see there were rows of pews near the back of the temple, probably for the peasants who came to worship, since the higher ranked priests and mages stood in front of the altar. Recalling his own experience as a child, the man remembered the common folk, like those in his family, had to sit far back away from the wealthier people. The only exception was one man who said prayers especially for the villagers, since they weren't allowed to say anything along with the priests or scribes.

Blinking, the gears finally clicked inside Amelda's head, and he quickly began pulling up the pew sitting underneath the statue's wing: the place where, as the clue had said, _'A poor man chose to preach.'_

After much effort, he was able to reach underneath the planks, and feel something cold and smooth against his hands. Once he had gripped the edge of the object, he pulled it upwards and slid it out from underneath the boards. Wiping the dirt from its surface, the carved image of a dragon's head glittered proudly in the thief's grasp.

'_Well, least now I can just go back home and sleep, I'm exhausted.' _Amelda chuckled inwardly, as he carefully backed away from the statue. As he turned around, he smirked confidently; he had the prize, and not one thing had gone wrong…

THUMP 

Well, almost everything. He hadn't counted on tripping over something...and someone.

The sound startled the magician girl awake. Mana gasped loudly and opened her eyes, pieces of her dream mixing with reality until she blinked the sleepiness from her eyes. Head turning towards the entrance to check the sun's position by habit, she instead saw a young man standing in the temple. The scroll she was clutching slipped from her hands in her surprise, unused to anyone else being in this place with her.

What was he doing here? This man didn't look like any of the servants, guards, or magicians she knew, and he certainly didn't look like Mahaado or the Pharaoh.

'_The enemy?'_ she thought. _'A thief, a raider?' _It reminded her of childhood stories where a mage would be murdered in the night because she couldn't use her magic in time, or didn't practice enough. Mahaado had said that those stories were just fables to teach children lessons, but with her heart beating so frantically, Mana had to wonder.

Despite her fear, Mana jumped up from her spot and ran, stopping just a few feet away from the stranger. This was her chance to prove herself as a magician!

"HEY! What are you doing here!"

She didn't know that she looked about as fierce as the domestic, lazy palace cats dedicated to Bastet.

While all this was racing through the mind of the young apprentice, Amelda staggered to his feet, trying to shake off the worst of his fall. Glancing at the ground, he realised his feet must have tripped over the scrolls lying along the floor. What were they doing there anyway? Only when he had finished inwardly cursing at his own clumsiness did he hear what was being shouted at him. When he did finally turn around to see what was causing the noise, he blinked in surprise.

A young girl, probably a few years younger than him, was glaring with determination straight at him. She certainly didn't look much like a dangerous mage. If she was, he was sure he would have been blasted into the temple wall by now. Perhaps she was an apprentice? Well, she had to be if she was staying in the palace. She wasn't dressed like a servant anyway, so what else could she be? Still, for one thing, she was quite cute…

'_Bad thoughts! You're working moron, no fantasising! She's the enemy!'_ he shouted inwardly, keeping the tablet steady under his arm, while gazing back at the girl.

Being pretty confident she wasn't much of a threat to him, the mercenary decided the best course of action was to just leave. Since everything inside the temple was covered in shadows, it was unlikely she got a good look at him, so no worry she could identify him to anyone else. Besides, as far as he could tell, the tablet would have been guarded much more efficiently, and temple kept much more in use if they had known the artefact was hidden there. Since they didn't, they couldn't link him as a thief, as there was nothing worth stealing in the abandoned sanctum as far as they knew. That way, there was no connection to his friends, the Dragon kingdom, or Dictator Seto's great plan.

"Um, actually," he spoke calmly, carefully backing away from the girl, heading towards the door. "I was just leaving…"

No sooner had he said that, a loud bang echoed in his ears, and Amelda turned his head to see that a large chunk of the wall had been blasted away by magical energy, missing him by only inches.

'_Looks like this will be harder than I thought.'_

Another ball of magical energy formed in Mana's hands. "Nu-uh! No one else who's not a magician is allowed inside here, ya know, so you have to come to the palace and answer to the Pharaoh and Master Mahaado!" she smiled sweetly. "So don't try to run, please?"

When she released this spell, however, it flew up instead of at the stranger. She looked up just in time to see a part of the ceiling of the temple come falling down on top of her head. "Ah!"

Mana remembered seeing plenty of stars before she collapsed at the thief's feet and went unconscious.

Amelda barely had time to think as the girl dropped to the ground, and she wasn't the only thing; the whole temple roof was caving in above them!

'_Dammit, time to go!'_ he thought and he swiftly turned to run for the exit before it was blocked. However, he skidded to a halt and glanced back at the girl lying on the floor, unmoving. He grit his teeth in frustration, before rushing back towards her still form, raising her head and placing his fingers on her neck.

There was pulse; she was alive. And there was no blood from her fall, just a bump on the head, but from what he had seen as a child, such a swollen and large lump could prove fatal if not treated correctly. Shaking himself, he felt even more confused. She could have hurled him right into the afterlife if her aim had been better with that magical energy. And yet she had acting so polite to him, even when threatening to turn him in. Despite the fierce look on her face, those big bright blue eyes had sparkled with an unknown tenderness he couldn't describe…

'_Not the time for those thoughts!'_ he cursed again, quickly covering the apprentice with his own body ad a small chunk of stone hit the ground, and dust blew everywhere. The thief knew he would have to leave now if he wanted to leave at all, but he also realised if he left the unconscious girl to be crushed, he would never forgive himself, even if technically they were enemies! He had seen too much death to want to ever be responsible for a loss of life, especially to someone who had barely lived theirs; someone young like this mage…someone like his little brother…

As more of the roof crashed around them, Amelda made his decision. Still gripping the tablet under his arm, he slung the girl over his other shoulder, stood up shakily, and ran for all he was worth. Ducking and weaving through the rubble, he made a final dash for the exit, barely missing a large slab that landed behind the door.

However, instead of stopping to put the girl down for someone else in the palace to find and heal her, he kept running, with the apprentice magician silent and unaware she was being carried away towards the palace wall. Of course, by now the guards were rushing into the courtyard to find out what all the commotion was, making the mercenary realise his quiet exit would be blocked. Plus, he knew he couldn't squeeze through that tight gap in the wall again with everyone in the palace on alert; it would be too slow, he would never get away. Hence, he had to think a new means of escape, and fast!

Trying to remember the layout of the grounds from the map, he ran faster and fast, which was not easy considering what he was carrying as well. He had no idea why he didn't want to just drop the girl on the group and get away, possibly because he was more worried about the nasty bump on her head than he thought. Though some Mages were very good healers, such an injury needed some herbal treatment, and Amelda knew that the best place to get such things was through black market dealing. With the time it may take for the doctors at the palace to acquire such rare plants, the damage to the girls brain could become life threatening.

Why he cared so much about someone who could have killed him, he had no idea. All Amelda knew that his morals about killing would not let him let her die if he could something about it.

Not paying attention to where he was going, the thief skidded to a halt, as his grey-blue orbs saw the one place that could provide him with a means of escape, the stables.

Quicker than he realised, he mounted a black stallion, strapping the saddlebag on to keep the tablet safe, while he held on to the young girl with one arm in front of him, the other gripping the reins. One swift kick was all it took for the steed to bolt out of paddock, past the guards and outside the palace walls. Not daring to look back, the man kept a firm grip so his passenger wouldn't fall off. The guards were unable to stop him, and knew they wouldn't be able to catch up now. He was safe, but he knew he had to hurry, but not just for the reasons assigned to his mission for the cold-blooded Dictator.

"Oh Ra…Mana!" a voice cried out, but Amelda was too preoccupied to look back. All he could do was race off into the darkness to cross the desert and meet his friends, while the Magicians of the Pharaoh's court, and the ruler himself, watched in shock and grief and the innocent and kind apprentice was carried off into the night.


	4. Chapter 3: In the Den of Thieves

Chapter Three: In the Den of Thieves

A terrible sandstorm began right as the Magicians prepared to track Amelda into the desert. There was no way they could follow as the winds wiped away any trail that might have been useful. When the guards reported that the secret passage in the wall had been opened, the Pharaoh called for an emergency meeting with his closest advisors. No one dared to object.

He sat on his throne in the Great Hall, fingers restlessly drumming against the armrest as his advisors argued amongst themselves about why the thief had been there at the little temple in the first place.

_'How could I have let this happen?'_ Atemu wondered, although he kept the fear on his face hidden well. Only Mahaado recognized the edge in his Pharaoh's silence for what it was: guilt and shame.

The three of them had grown up together. Mahaado and Mana had been assigned to be companions to the young Prince by the former Pharaoh, who did not want his son to grow up lonely under the pressure of succeeding the monarchy. Mahaado had acted like an older brother, and Mana was his adopted younger sister. Atemu wanted to end this war so that he could protect them for once, as well as bring peace to his kingdom. Allowing Mana to be kidnapped was unacceptable. He felt as though he had failed her for not thinking to close that silly secret entrance of his long ago.

At last, a servant announced the arrival of Shimon. A short little man with regal, baggy clothing entered the hall, and most of the magicians became silent in a show of respect. His mouth was covered by a cloth, but his blue eyes were large, wise, and expressive.

"Forgive me, my Pharaoh, for the late arrival. I'm afraid I had fallen asleep in the library again!" he chuckled, as if he didn't notice the excitement of his comrades.

"It is all right, Shimon," replied Atemu, who looked relieved that his deceased father's advisor was here to counsel them.

"Why have we all been summoned so late and on such short notice?"

Mahaado spoke up, his words rushed. "A thief managed to enter the palace grounds. He seemed to have come across my apprentice in the old temple, and he took her with him as he escaped."

"A thief! Inside the old temple!" Shimon exclaimed. He approached the throne and bowed quickly before standing back up. Behaving much more serious now, he said, "There is only one reason a thief would chose to go inside that place. That is, if he knew the location of the tablet hidden there!"

Of course, this declaration created an uproar among the advisors gathered there. Fingers pointed and accusations were thrown about, especially at Shimon, who said no more as he waited for the noise to cease. Had he told them before that the tablet was hidden so close to the palace, they could have protected it better. Atemu was too shocked at first to try to calm them down, but he finally shook himself from his surprise and raised his hands. Their voices hushed.

"What's done is done." The Pharaoh winced as he knew what he had to say. "We shall send the magicians that we can spare in order to bring Mana back. However, our priority is to guard the remaining tablets." He glanced at Mahaado, expecting an objection. When none came, he continued, "Dictator Seto must have only a few more to go. We cannot allow him to finish that puzzle."

"Your...words are wise." Mahaado could not hide his grief as well, but he accepted his Pharaoh's words with dignity. "With Shimon's help, I am certain that we will find them before the Dragon Kingdom's mercenaries."

Atemu nodded. "If any message should come to us about Mana, we shall attempt to negotiate." Eyes narrowed in anger, he added, "But that thief will pay for what he has done and for any harm that comes to Mana."

--

In the early morning light, peace resounded throughout the Dragon Kingdom in comfortable silence, until...

"What the bloody hell were you thinking?!" an angry voice screamed, almost making the entire hideout shake. "We planned all this so you could get in and out with the tablet with ease, simple and clean, but noooo. You had to go and get an attack of humanity and drag back a bloody carcass!!"

"Would you please quiet down," the other hissed, glancing back up to the small set of steps behind him, leading to a trap door to another room. "You'll wake her up."

"Oh, since when did you become so concerned about some strange girl, and why the HELL did you bring her back with you anyway?! She come free with the tablet?"

"Okay you two, that's enough!"

Once the room was quiet once more, Raphael sighed deeply. This couldn't get worse...

"Hey, you lot in there!" a shout from outside turned the attention all three males to the door. Being the most in control at the moment, the tall blond mercenary went to the door, opening it, only to face the Captain of the Dragon Army, along with a group of Seto's guards. "The great Dictator is expecting you at the Temple to receive the next tablet piece. You better not make him wait!"

"Yeah yeah, we're coming." Raphael moaned, looking back at his comrades glaring fiercely at each other. From the looks of things, they were not going to see eye to eye about Amelda's decision to bring back a Magicians apprentice to their hideout, and keeping her there.

"Well, be can't afford to be late, hurry up you two..."

"You...you guys can go ahead without me." the red haired thief finally spoke in a much calmer tone, leaving Varon blinking in surprise. "I'll stay and look after her. It was my choice, I'll deal with it. Besides, we can't tell the Dictator about this."

"Too right, if we did, the minute that beast was resurrected we would become its snack." the brunette muttered, still not at ease with the idea. They would all be in trouble if Seto ever found out. They couldn't give her back without giving away their identities to the Magicians, but despite their disagreement, no one had to heart to...well, shut her up permanently.

"Look, go give him the tablet while I watch her. She needs medical treatment anyway. And Varon, so you know, calling her a carcass when she isn't dead and being eaten by vultures is an incorrect reference." Amelda smirked, watching his friend's face contort into a childish pout.

"I'm not a walking dictionary! How should I know!"

Chuckling a little, the two mercenaries grabbed the large golden slab and went outside to mount their horses, promising to bring Amelda the clue and his cut of the pay back. Once they had gone, said man went to the counter, picking up a cloth and bowl of water, along with a couple of medicine bottles, and carefully carrying them in his arms as he walked up the small flight of steps, pushing the trap door up to check on the girl in his care.

What he saw when he poked his head through the hole nearly made him drop the contents in his arms.

The room was a complete mess. Objects were scattered across the floor and floating in the air as the magician girl paced frantically back and forth across what she believed to be her "prison."

Mana had woken up at the sound of a raised voice, but had not yet panicked since she was still a bit disoriented. When her mind became clearer, she found that she was in unfamiliar surroundings. _'This isn't my room.'_ It sparked in her mind, the face of the young man and the temple caving in around them. For a horrifying moment, she had put two plus two together and imagined the worst possible scenario.

_'I've been KIDNAPPED! I've been kidnapped, I've been kidnapped!'_ Mana had jumped up, her hysteria taking over all rationality. _'Master Mahaado's gonna KILL me! Oh my Ra, does he even know where I am? The Prince is gonna be so worried and what does the stranger want with me, is he gonna hurt me or--'_

At the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the stranger who had taken her away from the palace. This further fuelled her panic and the headache from her injury. She leapt up onto the bed and pressed herself against the wall.

"EECK! What do you want!"

To say Amelda was surprised to see the various objects in the room hovering about the ground was an understatement. However, his shock turned to worry when he saw the girl clutching her head, her balance wavering. Sighing, he realized from her frightened reaction he was going to have a hard time settling her down to check that bump.

Carefully placing the objects he held onto a nearby table, he kept eye contact with the young apprentice, noting her fear. He decided it best to keep looking straight at her, in case she thought he would try and surprise her in some way. Once he had wet the cloth and wrung it till it was damp, the thief cautiously approached the scared mage, one hand reaching slowly to try and touch her arm.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." he spoke softly, now leaning over the bed, just within reach of her. But instead of trying to pull her towards him, he offered his free hand out to her. Hopefully, it would show the girl he wasn't trying to trick her in any way. "I just want to check your injuries, I promise." he continued, smiling ever so slightly.

Her wide, blinking eyes observed the expression on his face and the way his hand reached out to her. So he really did seem like he wanted to help her. Thieves weren't supposed to be so nice, right? They pillaged, murdered, thought only about themselves and didn't help out anybody, especially little mages. Or so the stories said.

One thing was for sure. Her headache wasn't feeling any better thinking all these frightening thoughts!

"Ehem...okay," she said finally, in a meek voice. Carefully, as though somehow expecting him to curse her at any moment, she took hold of his hand. Using it to balance herself as she sat back down on the bed, she waited quietly like a good little patient. But she was still worried.

Inwardly, the thief was sighing in relief that she was being co-operative. He doubted he could have handled it if she had tried fighting him off. Despite the fact she lacked control in her magic, there was a lot of untapped power in this girl, which he saw in their previous encounter. If she had chose to lash out...well he doubted he would have fared well.

Once she was seated on the bed, he sat down himself, still holding her hand, squeezing it a little in hope of reassurance. It was cold comfort, but he couldn't give much else. After all, in her eyes he was just a criminal, utterly heartless and cold blooded, not to mention the one who had 'kidnapped' her from her home Kingdom.

Putting the cloth down for a moment, he carefully reached around her head, trying to feel from the bump that would be there, but without prodding it too much and causing her pain. From what he could tell, it was swelling up rather badly, just like he thought.

"Okay, listen, I'm going try and bring this swelling down." he said softly, taking the damp cloth again "I'm afraid it _will_ sting a bit, but you have to _stay still_ for me, understand? If it's painful, just grip my hand as much as you like, but don't move." he explained, finally pressing the compress firmly onto the bump.

Her deep breath was exhaled through a soft hiss of pain. "Ow, ow." Mana gripped his hand tightly and shut her eyes to keep the little tears from falling.

"Am I gonna be okay?" she asked fearfully. She didn't realize how serious her injury was, and she suddenly wished that Mahaado was there with them. He seemed to know just about everything there was to know about anything.

Not bothered too much by the nails digging into his hand, Amelda chuckled to himself at the girls worry for her life. Although the damage could have been fatal if not tended to earlier, he could safely say she was in the clear health wise. She would just have to take it easy for a while.

"You'll be fine with a bit of rest," he replied, removing the cloth and soaking a herbal mix from one of the bottles on some long clean bandages. He then proceeded in carefully wrapping them tightly around her head. "These will have to be changed once a day, but otherwise, you'll make a full recovery." he finished, his voice calm, almost pleasant. It had been a while since he spoke in a tone so close to content and happiness; what was this girl doing to him?

When he had finished, the mercenary stood up and prepared to leave, only to stop abruptly and look down at the hand that was still gripping onto his.

Eyes shyly adverted to the floor, Mana murmured, "Stay with me? Please?"

In the moment that he stood up to go, she had never felt so alone. Back at the palace, she was surrounded by servants, mages, and teachers. But here...there had only been the stranger. He had taken her away from her home, but he had healed her.

This man had been so nice to her... While Mana didn't understand why he had helped her, she was willing to learn more about him. She'd always been a good student.

"...What's your name?"

Surprised to say the least, Amelda was a loss for what to do. Nevertheless, he found himself sitting back down on the edge of the bed, hand still holding hers.

There was so much going through his mind right now; why did she seem to trust him, after everything he did? He knew himself that if their roles were reversed, he couldn't be as forgiving to someone like him. Still, she wasn't quite like anyone he'd ever met before. He was unable to place her in the corrupt and pain filled world he had inhabited for so long, but perhaps that was a good thing. There had already been too many innocent people slaughtered, which he had witnessed with his own eyes...

Finally blinking in realization she had asked a question, he tensed a little. He doubted very much the others would like the fact he gave the 'prisoner' his name, but he felt unable to ignore the request. She had given him some sense of trust (why he couldn't comprehend) so it was only fair he returned it.

"Amelda." he simply replied.

"I like it," she said, and a glimmer of her usual self twinkled in her eyes. The magician girl wondered what he would say if she told him he was really kind for a thief, and her cheeks reddened slightly at the thought. He didn't seem to think much of her at the moment and they did barely know each other, anyway...

"I'm Mana, pleased to meet you." Then, tilting her head sheepishly, she added in a rush, "Well, kinda, in a way, despite the circumstances...Heh." Even Mana knew how lame that sounded. She tried to change subjects quickly. "I've never hardly ever seen outside the palace. There was a few times I went with Pharaoh to see the marketplace when I was real little and that was really fun to see all the people, smell the spices in the air, and hear the musicians in the square... This is very, very different, though..."

Nervous giggles followed before she fell silent. Babbling was her weakest trait and she knew that it annoyed people when she spoke too much. Maybe he didn't like her like those others? But she couldn't let go of his hand, not quite yet... It was so warm and it was as if it was the last solid thing in the world.

Though the girls eager and bubbly personality seemed out of place in the situation, the thief found it a nice change anyway; anything was better than listening to Varon's whiny complaints. And once again, he found himself smiling slightly, something that had become unfamiliar in the last few years of his life.

At least she liked his name; at least he wasn't mistaken for a girl this time.

"Well, nice to meet you Mana." he replied, recalling hearing the name called out as he had ran from the palace. He thought it best not to mention that though. She was having a hard enough time adjusting without adding more grief for her to take.

Still, knowing they couldn't just take her back without getting caught, and if Seto found out she would be used as some bargaining tool to get the last tablet pieces. And even if the mercenaries would negotiate quietly by themselves with the Magicians...well, he guessed he would be on the receiving end of any anger felt from the apprentice's 'abduction'.

Somewhat awkward at what he could say to her, he decided practicality was the best option. Standing hand, he used the hold she still had on his hand to pull her to her feet, and keep her steady in case her head still hurt.

"Come on...you must be hungry by now. We'll get you something to eat." he said, tugging her along as he pulled the trapdoor up and descended the stairs.

The magician girl allowed her new friend Amelda to lead the way. On a level, she knew that she could be quite gullible...but she had decided that anyone as kind and helpful as Amelda wouldn't hurt her. Maybe not all thieves were bad, after all.


	5. Chapter 4: Too Close for Comfort

Chapter Four: Too Close for Comfort 

To say he was...suspicious was an understatement.

The Dictator was used to everyone being intimidated by him. Even his most loyal followers were quite shaky and timid when they reported to him. But this time it was different. The group of thieves he had been using the last few months to collect the tablet pieces had always struck him as different. If they had been frightened of him in previous encounters, they had covered it up exceptionally well, but now it was clear to him that the two bandits who had come to him tonight with their latest recovered treasure were rather worried and flustered; they had something to hide.

"Is there anything else for you, Dictator?" the gruff voice of Raphael questioned, bringing the ruler of Dragons out of his trance-like state. Glancing down at the two males kneeling before him, his smirked slightly; no one kept secrets from him.

"Yes, where is you friend tonight? I wanted to congratulate him as well on your success." Seto grinned, immediately seeing the quick unspoken panic expressed between the mercenaries. After a short pause, Varon scratched the back of his head, biting his lip before beginning a rambling excuse he hoped would throw their employer's interrogation.

"Well, like we said, he worked SO hard this time...and he...well...he was exhausted after his escape," the brunette exasperated, continuing despite the icy dictator's curious look, an eyebrow raised and sharp blue eyes questioning Varon's every move and word. "So we thought he should get the chance to rest and we would deliver the tablet ourselves this time..."

"But don't worry, he'll be ready to work on the next clue once he's had a good nights sleep," the blonde interrupted, hoping that his words would mean the end of the matter.

Closing his eyes and standing up from his seat on the altar, the Dragon Kingdom ruler turned away from the duo, to instead gaze at the still incomplete stone picture of the beast that would bring his victory.

"I see," he murmured, still without looking back at the two thieves he was addressing. As another wave of silence greeted them, the other two men stood as well. When they heard no other commands, Raphael picked up their wages and the next clue from the ground, while Varon looked over his shoulder, staring at the now open temple doors. 

"Well then...guess, we'll just go home and turn in ourselves, nighty night..." Varon joked, slowly backing away, ready to rush out the door. Maybe they were fortunate, and now they could leave without risking the Dictator discovering the truth...

No such luck.

"Hold it," Seto firmly commanded, the mercenaries stopping in the tracks of escape, only to see a smirk on the lips of the Dictator once more. "I still wish to pay my respects. So...I'll go with you."

"What? But, but you..." Varon began to stutter, before he was elbowed in the ribs by his taller blonde friend, who also cast a scary look at the other, clearing telling him one thing. 'Shut up, before you make things worse.'  
  
On hearing no further complaints, and satisfied by the state the other two men were in, the blue eyed male descended the steps, walked past his hired help and headed outside into the calm evening air. A guard was ordered to fetch the Dictator's horse, along with an escort while he accompanied the thieves back to their hideout.

This wasn't going to end well.

--

"Damn it," a curse was muttered in the small kitchen, as the redheaded bandit tried desperately to find the jar of honey in the cupboard, but nothing was where it should have been.

Sighing, Amelda rolled his eyes as he thought about the midnight raids Varon usually did whenever he woke hungry in the early hours of the morning. And his poor comrades had to always wake up and find the place in shambles. The cocky criminal was annoyed at the best of times, but when he decided to mess up the entire pantry looking for a midnight snack, it almost drove his two friends insane; Amelda more so, since he was always the one to tidy it up again.

"You'd think it would kill him to clean up this place once in a while instead of leaving it all for me," he muttered to himself, careful in case the girl sitting at the table heard his words. "What am I, his mother?!"

Finally locating the jar lodged right at the back of the cupboard, the thief once again tried to organize himself in making their so-called 'hostage', something to eat. 

Mana watched Amelda curiously. He really was a fascinating person for a thief. She had to fight down giggles at watching him act so flustered while he moved around the kitchen.

Looking around told her immediately at this was nothing like the palace's kitchen. Nothing could compare to the palace, but then, she had never lived anywhere else. _'So this is what a commoner home is like,'_ she thought without disdain or malice. _'I like how it's so small and cosy.'_

She sat in one of the chairs, her hands in her lap. Just as Amelda found the jar of honey, her stomach made a horribly loud, grumbling complaint. Blushing furiously, she blurted, "Wasn't me!"

As he spun round to look at the flustered girl, the thief was surprised to find his lips curling into a small smile, something he had not done in what seemed like years. The last was probably with Milo when...

Shaking his head to dispel the more upsetting thoughts that would set in, he busied himself again with cooking for the young mage. It didn't take long for him to prepare some salted fish with a mix of vegetables, as well as figs and honey for something sweet afterwards. Finally pouring out a cup of water, Amelda sat the modest spread in front of the girl hoping to calm any more nervousness she had towards her 'kidnapper'.

"It's not poisoned, honest," he shrugged lightly in a teasing manner. Why he was being so carefree with her he wasn't sure, but still, it was nice to feel at ease for a change. "It's probably not as nice as what you're used to...but eat as much as you like, you were asleep for a quite a while, so you must be starving."

"It smells so _goooooood_!" Mana said enthusiastically, as she grabbed a plain utensil and dug into the food. The first bite melted pleasantly in her mouth. It was definitely more coarse than the food she was used to, but it wasn't bad at all. She took another bite and another bite.

With the warm food in her belly, she felt her strength begin to return, little by little. It would feel bad to be poisoned, right? And surely, if he wanted to "get rid of" her, he would have done it sooner (still, the thought gave her shivers).

The magician girl licked the saltiness from her lips and took a sip of water. "Thank you so much, Amelda!" She placed a hand over her heart as a sign of respect. "Thank you for taking care of me."

Seeing how happy and energized the girl was as she tore into the meal, the mercenary could only look fondly at her; at least she wasn't so nervous now. It was almost like she trusted him.

"Well, there's plenty there so help yourself," he replied, just nodding politely at her gratitude. He was unsure how to respond to it, after all she should at least be a little worried about these three men who were keeping her against her will. Though he liked the lack of tension between them, he couldn't comprehend it. How could she forgive so quickly?

It had been years and years...and he still couldn't move on...

Dispelling the less pleasant thoughts once more, Amelda took the jug sitting on the table and began pouring cups of water for himself and the mage. However, all it took was a loud bang of the door slamming shut for the pitcher to slip out of his grip, smash on the table, and cause water to splash everywhere, including over Mana and the thief.

Which is exactly why Varon rushed into the room, only to halt at the sight of the two people sitting in their chairs, dripping from head to toe. 

"What is wrong with you?!" the redhead shouted, storming towards his friend, the water dripping down his face not helping cool his temper. "Why the Hell-"

"Because we have big trouble!" Varon interrupted hastily, before suddenly pointing at Mana. "You, have to hide, NOW!" he stated, completely forgetting his comrade, until he was roughly pulled back by the collar. Amelda glared fiercely, refusing to let go until he knew exactly what was going on.

"What? Why does she have to-"

"My my, cramped, rustic, practically falling to pieces, I can see the attraction," an icy voice chuckled from outside the door. But even though they couldn't see the man, Amelda suddenly loosened his grip on Varon's shirt, his face paling considerably.

"That's why," the brunette muttered, knowing now his associate fully understood what was happening. Before he could say another word, the cocky thief found himself free from the other's clutches, only to see him grab the magician girl's wrist and rush out of the kitchen. It was only a split second before he heard the trap door to the second floor creak open and bang shut again. He only hoped Amelda could hide her in time.

"What's wrong? Who was that guy who yelled at me?" Mana asked in a fearful whisper. Although she didn't recognize the voice at the door, the man's tone chilled her very soul. If Amelda hadn't been holding her wrist so tight, she would have jumped into bed and pulled the covers up high.

Pressing close to Amelda, the only person she trusted at the moment, she tried to keep her knees from shaking. "Amelda..."

The noises from downstairs seemed to be growing louder.

Too panicked to register the girl's words, the thief scanned the room in desperate search of a place for her to hide. Despite his lack of verbal response however, he was conscious enough to let go of her wrist and wrap his arm tightly around her in comfort. Sadly, this was short lived as footsteps echoed from below, slowly ascending the stairs.

He had to act fast, or the poor little mage would be killed on sight.

Abruptly letting go of Mana's form, Amelda knelt down and hastily began pulling out a large chest that had been stored under the bed. He had realized that in moving the large object, there was just enough space for the girl to squeeze in underneath. It was cramped, but the best and only hiding place available. Listening as the trap door slowly began to creak open, the mercenary knew they had no more time, and only one choice.

"Quick, under here!" he instructed, tugging the girl to the floor and helping her crawl into the tight space underneath the bed. "Now, don't move, or make any noise, or _he'll _find you," he whispered, as quickly pushed the chest in front of the bed to hide the girl more. As he did so, the trap door snapped open, and Amelda immediately sprang up at attention, as the Ruler of Dragons entered the room.

"Well, it's this a charming little rat-hole." Seto smirked, his accompanying guards and the two other thieves following behind him.

"Good evening Dictator." The redhead bowed in respect, trying not to let his voice waver, or let his glance slip to look behind him in case he caused suspicion. "It was very nice of you to drop by."

"It's no trouble, besides, I always wondered whether you all lived in conditions suiting your position. I can see I was right," the icy male snickered, advancing close to the hired mercenary. He stopped walking mere inches away from the girl's hiding spot, his shoes kicking dust underneath the bed as he did so.

That dust wound up in Mana's nose and mouth before she could cover either with her hands. She screwed her face up, trying to hold back a fit of coughs. Her lungs wanted air, but she was too afraid to breathe. 

_This_ was the Dictator! _The_ terrible, horrible, murderous Dictator of the Dragon Kingdom! There were so many stories about his legendary ruthlessness. He would leave magicians in agony on the battlefields, roasting in the noxious flames of dragon breath. Mothers used to threaten their naughty children with, "The Dictator shall send his dragons after you to gobble you up!"

_'I don't wanna be dragon food!'_ she thought. With her heart pounding in her ears, Mana tried to concentrate on relying on her repertoire of spells...

...And then, she sneezed.

Unfortunately, the tiny squeak didn't go unheard.

"What was that?" Seto questioned, eyebrow raised as he peered down at the floor. He was certain he had heard something.

With a quick glance exchanged between the three thieves, they knew they were in trouble. If he found Mana hiding now, not only would he have her killed, he would slaughter them as well for hiding her. Though the frightful consequence of being dragon bait was not a pleasant thought, Amelda couldn't help but worry more about the girl shivering in fear just a few footsteps away. It was his fault she was in this mess; he couldn't let someone so kind, gentle, and though he denied it, cute, from being another victim of the Dictators wrath.

Without thinking, he stepped in front of the tall man, letting the cold azure eyes burn into him. He had to say something -anything- to stop him from finding the apprentice.

"Mice. I'm so sorry, this why we didn't want you to come here to this filthy place. We have mice scurrying all over the place," Amelda blurted out. Now he knew hiding the enemy was one thing, but lying to the Dictator's face would mean a painful and humiliating end. And yet he was risking it to protect this girl. "We have a little infestation problem, but we're taking care of it."

A moment of silence passed, and the stoic expression on the ruler's face turned into a small smirk. As he nodded briefly, there was an inward sigh of relief between the trio of mercenaries; he believed the story.

"I see, it's not surprising in such a filthy place I suppose," the leader chuckled. "Well, let me at least do you a favor, and get rid of the one hiding under that bed," he added, taking little note of the clear panic in the eyes of his hired men.

"We wouldn't want to trouble you..." the redhead flustered, watching in horror as the man dismissed his pleas with a wave of his hand.

"Oh, but I insist. It's the least I can do for you," he smirked, before snapping his fingers, and one the guards walked past them all towards the bed.

He knelt down, and slowly bent his head forward to look into the dark space to see what was hiding underneath.

His eyes studied the shadows thoroughly. For a few breathless moments, the guard reached out, brushing his hand against the floor. Callused fingertips nearly grazed Mana's arm, but then he pulled away and declared, "Nothing here, m'lord. The rodent is gone." 

Meanwhile, the little "mouse" was grinning. _'Thank Ra I remembered Master Mahaddo's invisibility spell!'_

Dictator Seto frowned and shrugged his graceful shoulders. "See to that infestation problem of yours," he ordered in a bored tone. "Vermin carry disease."

Amelda could only nod dumbly, utterly confused. Just where had she gone?! 

While Varon and Raphael saw the Dragon ruler and his guards out, the other thief knelt down on the floor, peeking under the bed. This was fortunate of course. Seto took far too much pleasure in destroying anything he deemed useless or a threat to him, so it was little surprise he was disappointed he didn't get to see the 'mouse' squished under the guard's foot. If he got that much of a thrill from a tiny rodent who's only crime was being alive, Amelda shuddered to think what he would have done if had found the young magician's apprentice.

And speaking of which...

"Mana?" he whispered questionably, gazing in the dark but seeing no sign of the girl hiding under the bed. She couldn't have just disappeared...well, anyone who used magic might be able to disappear, but Amelda didn't know enough about the subject.

Just where did she go?

When Amelda's face was staring back at her, Mana squealed loudly and giggled, breaking the spell. "I did it, I did it, I did it! I remembered the spell and nobody saw me! It really, really worked, I did it!"

Despite her dusty state and the small space underneath the bed, Mana managed to launch herself at the caring thief, wrapping her arms around him and causing them to roll across the floor. She was so relieved to be _alive_. To think that she survived an encounter with the Dictator of the Dragon Kingdom! Well, she just didn't know any other way to react except in her usual, hyperactive way.

What she didn't realize, however, was the awkward position that she placed Amelda in when they stopped moving.

She was still on top of him, still hugging him tightly, with his comrades still in the room.

Needless to say, Amelda's surprise of the girl's sudden reappearance was quickly replaced with embarrassment at how she was sprawled on top of him, and how Varon and Raphael had come back just in time to witness it. With a clear pink flush on his face, any explanation he tried to make only caused the other two mercenaries to smirk and snicker more. 

"Look, this isn't what it looks like," he spluttered as he attempted to sit up with Mana still on top of him. 

"Oh don't mind us, next time we'll knock first," the taller blonde man spoke politely, though it was obvious he was holding back his chuckles at the scene. Meanwhile, Varon wasn't even trying to stifle his laughter; he looked as if he would burst any moment as he clutched his ribs.

"Or just bolt the trap door shut, then we'll know if you're occupied," the brunette snorted, the noise only increasing at the reddening face of his friend. "Well, at least this means you won't be uncomfortable around each other tonight."

Blinking in confusion at the statement, Amelda tilted his head in question; what were they talking about?

Varon was about to blurt out the discussion he and the other bulkier male had earlier, but was stopped by Raphael. It was only fair that the redhead heard this from someone who wasn't going to take as much pleasure as the brunette would in giving him the news; he had been humiliated enough for one night at least.

"Well after tonight being such a close call, we thought it would be best if our 'guest'," he explained, gesturing to the girl still atop his friend. "...was guarded at all times until she leaves, in case the Dictator tries to snoop around again. And since you vouch responsibility, well, you get the job."

Hearing this, the thief lying on the floor sighed. It did seem fair; he brought her here, so he should be the one to look after her. However, he was still shocked at the sight of his belongings from his room being dumped on the floor beside him, along with some blankets and what could be dinner for two on a tray. Before he could even question the action though, the other two males were already exiting the room.

"Wait a minute..."

"Well, you have to keep an eye on her all the time. If she tries any magic tricks to escape in the middle of the night, you can make sure she doesn't run off. It's for her own safety after all." Raphael shrugged, disappearing through the trap door.

"But remember, _some of us_ will be trying to sleep, so...keep the noise down." Varon smirked, pulling a cute kissy face before leaving the room as well and abandoning his friend for the night; he was just lucky the redhead was unable to get up and strangle him. 

Amelda growled to himself, muttering profanities about getting back at both of his comrades in the morning. However, that thought flew out of his mind when he turned back to the form that was still lying over his, and looked into Mana's bright blue eyes, and the horror of the situation finally sunk in, making him blush even more.

They we're going to have to stay in the same room, all night long.

The magician girl didn't completely understand what all the men were saying, but she was happy for some reason that Amelda was going to be staying with her. She giggled and slid off so that she could sit up beside her new friend. Her excitement kept her stirred up, but Mana was slowly calming down.

"Your friends are strange! Why would we be making noise? I know I talk loudly, but I can talk in a quiet voice, too," and for a moment, she whispered to prove her point. Then speaking in a normal voice, she added, "I never thought about escaping in the middle of the night. I don't like the darkness, though. Am I really kidnapped? When can I go home?"

She placed a hand over her mouth. Her teacher would tell her to quit babbling right now, which indeed, she was. Thinking about the dark made her nervous all of a sudden. Mana couldn't imagine trying to find her way back home in the dark, all alone.

However, the young mage didn't have much time to worry over such thoughts, as a soft bundle was tossed her way, which she caught with little effort. On closer inspection, she realized it was a large night robe...a man's robe!

Amelda was standing at other side of the room, having just got off the floor, with his back facing Mana. 

"You, better...change into that," he stuttered, closing his eyes even though his gaze wasn't in the girl's direction. At least this way she couldn't see how red his face had become. "And you can...uh, take the bed...I'll just...just sleep on the floor," he continued nervously, trying to distract himself by rolling out the straw mat onto the floor and unfold the blankets.

"Oh." 

Not only were his friends strange. What kind of people were these thieves, anyway? She tilted her head and stared at the back of Amelda's head, as if she could see into his mind and read his thoughts. No such luck though - she hadn't mastered that spell yet. 

"Okay, I guess. You don't have to sleep on the floor if you don't want to, though, since the floor's not very comfy." Mana didn't quite understand the implications of sharing a bed with the opposite sex. She snuggled her cheek in the soft cloth of the robe and smiled. "I'm glad you've been so nice to me, Amelda." 

Then she, too, stood up and went to him, embracing him from behind. "Thank you!"

Stepping back, she turned around and pulled his robe around her.

Fearing he may see something he didn't want to, the mercenary chose to keep his eyes fixed to the floor. He did want to return the warm gesture of the hug, but didn't know how the girl would take it. Also, if she were in a state of...well undressing, any trust he may have gained since saving the young mage would be eradicated instantly.

Still fighting off the remains of pink tint on his cheeks, Amelda hoped he wouldn't screw things up, as he carefully pulled the shirt he was wearing over his head. It was too warm for his liking, so he preferred sleeping with no top. Another reason he felt it wasn't the best idea for him to actually _share_ the bed with Mana.

"No, it's okay, you can have the bed, I'll be fine," he finally replied, trying desperately to break the tension. "I'm told I snore anyway, so it's probably better you don't sleep near me," he laughed a little, before settling himself as comfortably as possible on the mat.

Satisfied with his answer for the moment, Mana settled down onto the bed. The pillow underneath her cheek had the faint scent of the desert and spices. Despite the chilly attic air of the night, the robe and blankets kept her warm. And something about Amelda made her feel warm, too.

"Amelda?" said Mana quietly. "Sweet dreams..." 

On hearing those words, the thief rolled over from his place on the floor, to see the young mage already drifting off to sleep. Without realizing it, a smile formed on his lips as he lay back down, trying to get as comfortable as possible.

"Yeah, you too Mana," he whispered as he closed his eyes.

And for the first time in so many years, Amelda had a peaceful and tranquil slumber.


	6. Chapter 5: Bizarre Bazaar

Chapter Five: Bizarre Bazaar

Atemu made himself puzzle over Shimon's scrolls, which contained detailed, but extremely cryptic notes about the pieces of the Ultimate Dragon. All he could think about, however, was Mana. Dozens of horrible scenarios played through his mind by the time his magicians returned. No news, good or ill, did they bring. There was no way to tell if the thieves had kept her, turned her in, or worse...

Mahaado seemed even more anxious and distracted about his apprentice. He directed the search when he could, but had to let the spies go alone in order to infiltrate the Dragon Kingdom. So in order to feel useful, the master magician stayed up through the night with his Pharaoh and the other advisors. Everyone was becoming more desperate.

Only Shimon appeared completely composed. Turning to his Pharaoh, he said, "You should take your rest now, m'lord. You can't run the kingdom on no sleep."

"How can I when the fates of so many lives depend on us?" Atemu asked, as the dark spots under his eyes seemed to deepen.

"Indeed, indeed. That's exactly why you need to conserve your strength," said the wise, old advisor. "I'm sure you'll figure it all out with a good night's rest. You too, Master Mahaado..."

---

Mana woke up early the next morning, just before Amelda. She had fallen into such a deep sleep that she hadn't heard him snore like he said he did. But she did see, in the morning light, how peaceful he looked when he slept. It was so much better than the usual nervous expression he wore around her. 'I've never watched anybody sleep before,' she thought. She had always kept her own room by herself. 

She suddenly wished that she still had her doll she used to keep when she was a very little girl. It always made her feel less lonely.

After she dressed, the magician girl tried as best as she could to remain quiet while Amelda continued to sleep. But it was hard! 

At first she blew bubbles from her tongue. Then she tried to cast a spell for shielding again, but it ended up creating another Scapegoat, which promptly burst.

"Oops..."

Needless to say, Amelda certainly got a surprise when he awoke. The loud noise made his eyes snap open instantly, as he rolled over only to smack face first into the floor, forgetting that's where he had been laying all night.

As he rubbed his face groggily, the thief managed to look up and see Mana standing over him. Trying, but faltering, to put on a brave face, he managed to smile slightly at her.

"Well at least I didn't oversleep today, thanks Mana," he said, sitting up carefully, still a little weary he had no shirt on in front of this girl. However, at the moment he was somewhat preoccupied with any bruises that would form on his chest due to the impact with the hard floor.

"Ehehe, sorry about that," Mana giggled cutely, making her apology sound somewhat insincere. She had always been a morning person, often irritating her fellow mage apprentices with a seemingly bottomless pit of cheerfulness.

"I hope that you slept well!" she said as she kneeled beside him, oblivious to his slight embarrassment. "I still feel bad that you had to sleep on the floor. You take the bed next time, all right?"

Before he could argue, Mana suddenly changed the subject. "What are we going to do today?"

Trying to compose himself as well as take in the information just thrown his way, the male checked for any scratches to his torso while he processed the question in his mind. What could they do?

Well, technically the girl wasn't even meant to be in the Dragon Kingdom! Surely they should be planning a way to take her back without getting caught and tried by the Magicians, who no doubt would think they had done something horrendous to the young apprentice. He paused and considered their options, but found that he was lacking any at all.

"Look Mana," he began to say, looking at the other with blue grey eyes and trying his best to sound serious, even though her ever-spreading cheerful aura was threatening to take him over. "I know this isn't easy for you to understand but...you're not even supposed to be here. If Dictator Seto or any of his followers catches you we'll all be in big trouble. SO, maybe it's best you lay low here, until we can get you back home."

He hated spouting out such censored rubbish. The guilt Amelda felt by treating Mana so childishly hurt, but at the same time, the harsh reality he feared would scare her too much. The fact was they would all end up dead if the magician girl was found; however, the mercenary couldn't stand the thought of seeing that happy smile turn into a look terrified, tear stained expression of horror.

"Hmm, yeah, that would be kinda bad," Mana mused. If ever there was an understatement! But it was good to hear him say that he would take her home. She really wanted to tell her Prince how Amelda had saved her and taken care of her. Thieves could be good people, after all!

Optimistic despite the young man's tone, she stood up and straightened her skirt. Her clothing was a bit dirty, still a little dusty from her accident in the temple. It was one of the traditional, female mage's clothing, and it had been one of her favorite outfits. Though saddened for a moment, an idea sparked in her head.

"Maybe they wouldn't notice so much that I'm a mage if I had new clothing?" she hinted heavily. Nothing would cover-up the telltale markings about her eyes, markings all magicians had, but there were other ways to blend in a crowd.

And she desperately wanted to see what the other Kingdom was like. Besides just getting out of the cramped, tiny attic.

It took the bewildered mercenary some time to process the information. Did this girl know anything about WHAT the Dictator did to Magicians? And she was willing to go out in middle of the city, in broad daylight in front of his followers expecting everything to be okay?!

_'It must be nice being so carefree,'_ he thought to himself. Despite the warning bells ringing in his head, and the words of danger threatening to escape his mouth, one look in soft blue eyes of the little mage, at he found himself flushing terribly.

Why was he such a pushover for those kind, caring orbs?

"You're not going to stop hinting until I say yes, aren't you?" he sighed, standing up and finding a shirt to pull over his head, along with his belt, weapons and long cloak. "Okay, but you have to stay next to me at all times, NO wandering off by yourself, understand?" he continued, trying his best to look and sound authoritative.

"YAY!" The thrilled magician did a few happy twirls on the tips of her toes before clapping her hands together in a fervent manner. "I promise I won't wander by myself, I promise! As long as you're with me, I know I'll be safe, won't I, Amelda?"

The genuine gleam in her eyes just couldn't be denied (only her teacher had enough practice to resist her charms). She took a sheet from the bed and fixed it with some magic so that she could wear it as a cloak. It looked barely convincing, but usable. After giving the small mirror in the room a mischievous wink, she turned back to the reluctant thief.

"We'll find some breakfast first! C'mon, let's go!" She took Amelda by the hand and began to pull him. For just a moment, she felt her cheeks go pleasantly warm before it returned to wherever flushes went to.

This was such a new experience. Not in a long time had she felt so much excitement!

Unable to protest, Amelda smiled secretly as he followed the young mage down the steps through the trapdoor, heading outside. He had to admit, she looked so happy, full of energy. In fact, she was in such a rush she zoomed straight past Varon, who in turn was knocked backwards in her wake. Well, it was amusing to the cocky thief fall of his high horse and flat on his back once in a while.

"What in the name of-Hey, wait a minute, why is she going outside?! We'll get busted for sure, are you nuts, Amelda?!" the brunette yelled from his position on the floor at his friend on seeing their so called prisoner skipping along to the horse paddock, in plain view of everyone!

Blinking, the other mercenary looked back between his comrade and the girl outside, before answering the protests curtly. "We're just going shopping."

"SHOPPING?! Has the heat finally melted your brain?! She can't go out to the market!!" Varon screamed, while the redhead tried to prevent himself from going deaf by covering his ears.

"Well, she needs something to wear so she can blend in. Besides I have to go pick up something for our dinner, all my ingredients some how...vanished." Amelda said as he crossed his arms, grinning on seeing the guilty look on the other's face. "Anyway, who said they wanted _me_ to take responsibility for her? Meaning _I_ can let her go out if I wish, and I don't need your approval."

Growling under his breath, Varon finally struggled to stand up again and brush himself off, knowing he had been outwitted; with Amelda taking responsibility, it was really his choice, and couldn't complain, otherwise he could get landing with, what to him, appeared to be babysitting. So, all he could do was mutter to himself, "Oh, I hate it when you twist my words against me like that. It's so irritating."

In triumph, Amelda turned and walked out the door, heading towards Mana, who was playing around with the three horses in the paddock. Shaking himself, he soon realized it was going to be a lot harder than he thought to keep his mind off how cute she looked, and how nice it was to see her laughing and smiling at him.

"Pretty, you're very pretty aren't you?" Mana cooed to one of the horses as she rubbed her hand up and down its neck. "Are you the one who carried Amelda and me through the desert? That was a long ride, wasn't it? Such a good horsey!"

One brown eye considered the magician girl for a moment before the horse shook his head, the dark hair of its mane tickling Mana's face. Then the animal nuzzled its nose in her hand, deciding somehow that it liked the little human's attention. She giggled and looked back to smile at Amelda. "Let's find some carrots for the horses, too!"

Beyond the paddock, she could see down the street the way to the beginning of the bazaar. Foreign spices drifted on the wind towards them as a few of the locals made their way to the market, carrying their goods of fruits, breads, and various crafts. The glint of a bronze statue of a dragon caught Mana's eye, reminding her that the people here were supposed to belong to the enemy kingdom.

_'It's no place for a magician,'_ Mahaado used to say. _'Our peoples have simply...given up understanding each other over time.'_

Mana understood perfectly the importance and fun of _shopping_, though.

"C'mon Amelda, let's walk to the bazaar!"

Chuckling a little at the girl's bouncy behavior, the thief smiled. He couldn't recall the last time he had actually been so lively, so optimistic and so...well happy. It had to have been a long time ago, in times of youth, naivety, when he still believed life was fair; good people led good lives and were safe and out of harm's way, as they had done nothing wrong.

Now of course, he knew better. Still, there was no reason to push that harsh reality on this young mage yet. She would learn soon enough, unfortunately.

"As nice as that sounds, I have too much to bring back, so I'll need this fella's help to carry the load," he explained, adjusting the saddlebags onto the stallion, and strapping all the riding gear on tightly. "But don't worry, he'll get rewarded for the extra effort."

Carefully hoisting himself up, he swung his leg over the horse and settled into the saddle. Once he was comfortable, he offered a silent hand to Mana, hopefully making it easier for her to climb up.

They were actually going to ride into the bazaar! How exciting, she had never done that back home. Taking a firm hold on Amelda's warm hand and on the saddle, Mana managed to lift herself up. She was placed behind the thief, but didn't think a thing about how close she was, since she often rode like this while learning how to ride.

Naturally then, she wrapped her arms around his waist. Ever since she was a little mage, she had been afraid of falling from such a height, though never afraid of the horse itself.

Mana was trusting, however, that Amelda would never let her fall.

While Mana made herself comfortable, the thief holding the reins felt very lucky she was unable to see how red his face had become. Of course she had to hold on, it was the sensible thing to do, but it still made him go a nice shade of pink.

Trying to ignore such thoughts, he gave the horse a light tap in the sides, causing the animal to set off on it's way down the dusty road towards the town. Glancing at the girl briefly, he smiled slightly at how content and happy she looked. For some reason that Amelda could not understand, the thought of not seeing that bright expression once he returned her to her own Kingdom made something in his chest ache strangely.

Once again he tried to concentrate on the road as they entered the town, hoping the girl didn't notice his behavior.

When they entered town, they started attracting attention. Heads began turning almost immediately. Yet none of the townspeople could recognize Mana for what she was, though they did whisper to each other that seeing a girl they had never seen before was strange. Stranger still that she was with their Amelda, who wasn't known for that kind of thing. Even the merchants gave pause before advertising their wares in enticing voices.

"Would the pretty lady like jewellery!"

"Young man, buy this fine linen for your woman!"

Mana only giggled to herself.

Unfortunately, Amelda wasn't quite as easy going about the comments. They thought he...and Mana...that they were...betrothed?!

Despite many attempts to calm himself down from the embarrassment, the mercenary was now sure his face was the same shade as his hair. All the poor man could do was walk as quickly was possible through the crowds in hope they could get away from the more insistent stall owners.

It wasn't too surprising though. He did come down a lot by himself. Only on the rare occasion when Varon wanted to look at the new riding gear, or when Raphael needed a new pair of boots (with big feet like his, he went through many pairs of shoes) did he have company on his shopping trips. However, he had to admit, being with Mana was different...nice even.

As they made their way down the street, he squeezed her hand tighter as not to lose her in the sea of people around them, even if it made the townspeople believe in their suspicions even more. Thankfully, they pulled into a less busy side street, so his grip slackened slightly.

They only walked a short way when they stopped in front of a small stall. It was decorated with many items from jewels and pottery to silk and leather. The man standing behind the counter immediately grinned in a sly manner at seeing Amelda in front of his little shop.

"Ah, Amelda my boy, what can I do for you this fine day?" the man greeted, though his voice had a hint of mischief in its tone. "Have you finally come to your senses and decided to accept my generous offer?" he asked, stroking his white beard skittishly.

"Sorry Hadik, not today. You've asked me the same question every time I come here, and I always give you the same answer: No," the thief spoke bluntly, completely unmoved by the older man's words. He had heard them all too often; it was only due to getting good deals from the ageing salesman that he kept coming back to his stall. "I'm here because I need clothes for my...friend."

The cheeky old man finally noticed the hooded girl behind Amelda, smirking lightly as he snapped his fingers, and two women appeared from behind the canopy of the tent.

"Oh, you have such a pretty _friend_ don't you? You go with the assistants dear girl, and they will find something for you," he smiled, ushering them away as the girls took Mana into the back of the shop to measure and fit her for her new garments. In the meantime, the crafty elder decided to continue his previous bargaining.

"Now my boy, I think I have something you may like..."

"Stop it Hadik, I've told you already," Amelda snapped back, rather annoyed now at the old man's constant babbling.

"But this is lovely, it would look so pretty around your sweetheart's neck," the salesman baited, picking up a display tray that held a beautiful silver chain, with a tiny pendant with topaz stones, in the shape of a butterfly. "She would know then how much you love her. It's a great deal! I'll trade you this fine necklace for that old locket of yours."

Sure enough, a tiny bump could be seen underneath Amelda's shirt, just a few inches down from his collar. Scratching the side of his neck, feeling the chain press against his skin, the youth glared defiantly at the old man.

"She's not even my 'sweetheart', and I still won't trade with you, get it through your head!" he shouted, trying hard to keep his voice from reaching Mana's ears in the back of the tent. Nevertheless, Hadik was still persistent.

"Why not? I am offering you a great deal! This lovely item is worth much more than that piece of scrap metal you wear."

Subconsciously clutching the pendant with one hand through his shirt, Amelda's blue-grey gaze became icy and fierce.

"First off, if it wasn't worth anything as you claim, you wouldn't be so anxious to get your filthy hands on it, would you Hadik," he hissed. "And second of all, this means more to me than any money you can offer, so knock it off," he finished, still glaring as one of the female assistants came back to talk to the old businessman.

"The girl is almost ready," said the woman, eyes adverted from Amelda in an attempt to politely ignore his outburst. Her expression was resigned since she was used to Hadik haggling with his customers so persistently out of their possessions. "But she wants the opinion of her gentleman friend first."

Hadik grinned, as if he knew well that the implications would indeed further fluster the easily embarrassed young man. "Come, come then, we wouldn't want to keep the pretty lady waiting, now would we?"

Without allowing Amelda to take breath for his newest protests, Hadik placed his arm around the thief's shoulders and pulled him along as they followed the assistant to the entrance of the tent. The businessman continued to chatter incessantly about the success of his most recent ventures until the flap of the tent was pulled away.

There Mana stood in the dazzling blue and white colors of the Dragon Kingdom. She wore pants cut to the knees, and a top that revealed her graceful shoulders and neck. A cloth was wrapped around her head in the traditional style, a protection against the hot rays of the sun.

The magician girl fidgeted a bit nervously, but she smiled. "I hardly ever wear anything but skirts! But they wanted me to try this outfit, and I really like it. What do you think, Amelda?"

It was in that moment that the thief had completely forgotten what he was fighting about with the shopkeeper beforehand. It didn't matter though; he was too taken in with the beautiful sight before him to care.

All the breath had seemed to evaporate from his body, as he stared at the form before him. The light seemed to catch the edges of the fabric in such a way Mana looked as if she was glowing. Her eyes were glittering, the color matching the blue of the outfit. Needless to say, Amelda was awe-struck.

Unfortunately, he recalled the chuckling man standing nearby, and promptly glared at the elder. Thankfully, the salesman knew better than to test the young man further, so he ushered his assistants out of the tent to the front of the stall, where he followed afterwards.

Once they were alone, Amelda tried feebly to fight away the bright warmth that causing his face to turn pink, while his chest seemed to tighten, but in a strangely pleasant way. Deep down he knew these emotions were escalating, for the moment he chose to deny the fact. It was unclear though for whose sake he was doing it though.

Slowly, he walked towards her until he was looking straight down at the girl, finally managing to let a smile show on his face.

"You look..." he hesitated, glancing back in case the nosy sales girls where peaking around the flap of the tent. When he saw there was no one watching, Amelda carefully brushed some of the stray bangs of hair from Mana's face, gazing at her with new found happiness he could not explain, before finish his sentence. "...beautiful."

And with that, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips to her forehead in a gentle kiss.


	7. Chapter 6: Discovery in the Dark

Chapter 6: Discovery in the Dark

Another day was drawing to a close as the almighty Dictator once again left the main stone hall of his fortress, and was escorted by his guards towards the Blue Eyes temple. The deity of all dragons had been the guiding force of the Kingdom since it was built. Legends of how it had destroyed any and all enemies of the one controlling it were thought of with historical glory, and it was hoped that one day soon, the beast would rise again and bring back the honor to the Dragon Kingdom in winning the war. Of course, Kaiba's plans did not differ from this train of thought.

How and why the great Ultimate Dragon had been sealed away was still a mystery. It was suspected that it was the Magicians in their early stages of wanting to conquer over all the lands, who had preserved the beast in stone for all time, since they were unable to destroy it. This was not of course confirmed, but for Seto, he made sure it was believed to be true.

As he closed the doors behind him and left the guards posted outside, the Dictator made his way to the altar, gazing up at the still incomplete tablet with cold blue eyes. While he stared at the beast, he began to ponder on the progress of his plan; why hadn't he had any word back yet from his band of mercenaries on their progress? Granted the clues got harder and harder as the puzzle neared completion, and going into Magician territory was highly risky, even for the well trained men he had hired, but still...

He had been having such weary suspicions since his visit to their hideout. Despite everything, there was some unease in him as he left. He doubted they were stupid enough to try anything disloyal, but nevertheless, he couldn't reason everything away. Especially with the redheaded thief. Why had he been so against the Dictator looking under the bed? Apart from the rodent problem they claimed to have, what else could the reason be?

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the ruler looked up once more at the image on the wall, a smirk forming on his lips. They were hiding something from him, and he would find out what. He would make them pay of trying to outsmart him.

Of course...not until they had fulfiled their full purpose in his plans to come. 

* * *

_'Stupid, stupid, stupid!'_ Amelda cursed to himself as hit his head against table for the hundredth time that night. The frustration he felt had been building up all day. It was so bad that Raphael and Varon had scurried off to their own rooms to be out of range of him. He stared at the parchment with the new clue for the next tablet piece again, still puzzled over what it could mean.

_'In the dark hollow, where eternal light is the path, __  
__There lies your target, though beyond there lies the wrath, __  
__The first man to paint, who took his secret to the grave, __  
__Carved in his heart, the one he could not save.'__  
_  
Groaning in frustrating, the thief felt ready to pull his hair out the roots. He couldn't make heads or tails of it! He'd never had this much trouble figuring out one of the clues!

Unwillingly, his gaze flickered back towards the trapdoor, leading to the floor above, and sighed to himself. The baffling riddle on the paper before him was only a small issue for the moment, the real reason for his stress was far more troubling, and why he had been calling himself an idiot in his head all day long.

He had been a fool, he went too far, and now the young girl upstairs would probably never talk to him again. The impulse of that tiny little kiss should have been easy to suppress, but he had chose not to. Instead he had given into the urge. And the worst part of it was, he didn't regret it.

As he brushed his finger over his lips for a moment, he could still feel the tingling from when they had touched that soft delicate skin of Mana's forehead. Of course, once he had realized what he had done, he spent the rest of the day trying to pretend nothing had happened, and he hadn't spoken to the young mage since.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder if she really did despise him for what he had done.

Up in the aforementioned attic, the magician girl was still in complete and utter shock. While waiting for dinner to be made, she stood at the window and stared out at the sky, trying to find a camel-shaped cloud. It was her habit, to find animals and shapes in the clouds when she wanted to be distracted from her lessons or from bad dreams. Yet all Mana could think about was that kiss...

The first time anyone had kissed her. Ever.

Well, she couldn't really remember her parents; they certainly may have kissed her as a baby to show their affection. No one else, though, not even her Prince, had kissed her like that. Even a hug was barely appropriate for someone in her position, for though she was no commoner, Mana wasn't royalty, either. Mahaado had to keep reminding her that she was training to be a magician soldier in the Pharaoh's army. That was always the plan, although it didn't exactly mesh with her dream to become the greatest sorcerer ever.

Then Amelda came along...and Mana became confused. Over a kiss, a chaste kiss no less.

_'What does a kiss mean?'_ she asked herself. She wanted to know why her cheeks flushed whenever she remembered Amelda kissing her. _'What does one do when one gets kissed? And why won't he talk to me now? Did I do something wrong?'_

"No, no camels today," Mana said with great disappointment. She turned away from the window with a sigh. "That means there will be no rain for a while. I hope Amelda kisses-- I MEAN, I hope the farmers don't suffer!" She shook her head furiously. "Silly, silly me!"

It was as the girl was pondering this that there was a knock on the door. Amelda leaned against the wall briefly, before placing a small tray down on the floor. The bravory to face Mana at that moment had faded the instant his knuckles had rapped on the wood, causing him to immediately withdraw his hand as if he had been burnt.

"Mana, your food is just in front of the door, eat it before it gets cold," he said softly.

How he wished he could find the courage to talk to her, but the task seemed impossible. After what he had done...it was better he was out of the way for now, and possibly for good.

With that last thought weighing him down, he turned around to make his way down the stairs.

Her emotions began racing as soon as he knocked on that door. There was a strange ache in her chest that didn't exist before. Oh, how much she wished for once that Mahaado were here to explain all these questions!

That was it. She just couldn't take it anymore!

Pulling open the door, she shouted rather unnecessarily, calling loudly, "AMELDA! _Wait_! Please!"

Her hand reached out to tug him back, apologies already waiting to pour out of her. Unfortunately, the magician girl completely forgot about the dinner he placed on the floor for her. Her foot made contact. As she lost her balance, she gave a short scream and began to fall towards the retreating thief.

In that instant, it was as if everything was in slow motion. The minute he looked around at the sound of the girl's voice, Amelda stiffened at the sight tumbling towards him. Instinctivly, he could have stepped aside and got out out the way in time, but the first thing that came to mind was Mana's safety, not his own.

Without even realizing it, his body moved of its own accord, latching onto the mage as she crashed into his arms. He clung to her tightly, as if she was his lifeline, while the impact knocked them both down the stairs. It was then that the momentum sped up once more, and in an instant Amelda felt his skin bruise as his back came in contact against the stairs. They fell and fell, all the way down, before landing with a dull thud at the base of the steps, the thief still gripping the girl tightly as she lay on top of him.

"Are you...okay Mana?" Amelda groaned, trying to ignore the throbbing feeling in his spine as he sat up, while trying to see if the apprentice was without injury.

It felt like they had been falling forever. Until they had ceased moving, Mana had held her breath. Then she began to panic.

She didn't even answer his question. Mana was much more worried about the thief than about herself. She quickly scrambled off of him, but kept softly touching his face and shoulders. "Amelda! Are _you_ okay?! I am so, so, so, so, sorry! I just wanted to talk, but you walked away, and now I've made a mess of everything and you're hurt!"

Tears began to fill her eyes, but she quickly pushed them away. Crying wouldn't help her friend!

"Okay, I'm gonna do a cooling charm so that your back won't hurt so bad, okay?" Even though she was very frightened for Amelda, the incantation sang from her lips as fluidly as a bird's song. The energy relaxed his muscles and spine, slowly draining away the pain.

Upon hearing the ruckus from the stairs, the thief's own comrades rushed to the scene.

"What the bloody hell is going on here?!" Varon shouted, as he and Raphael rushed in from the back of the house, only to blink in surprise at seeing Amelda sprawled on the ground, his face twisted in pain. Meanwhile, the mage they had been hiding was hovering over him, hands aglow with a strange aura. She seemed focused on her task, as if possessed.

Sadly, the pair assumption that whatever was going on was not favorable; they actually thought Mana was hurting Amelda!

"What are you doing to him you little witch!" Raphael blurted out, instinctively glaring daggers at the magician, lunging forward.

Whether the bulky blonde was planning to push her away, hit her, or take any other form of action was unknown. There was no way to be sure, as the strongest of the thieves was stopped dead in his tracks...by the one he was going to protect.

Amelda shakily stood, blue-grey eyes ablaze, as his larger friend skidded to a halt in his rampage just in time. The redhead still held his ground, arms outstretched in protection of Mana, who was still on the floor behind him.

"Stop it," he hissed, swaying a little, though still holding his stance. "It's not her fault, I'm fine..."

"Like hell, you're bleeding!" Varon interrupted, crouching down as Amelda lost what lttle balance he had. Luckily, the cocky thief caught him in time. "Come on, we can get you bandaged up..."

Unfortunately, the wounded male was in no mood to accept the kind offer, shrugging away the hand on his shoulder callously. His emotions were running high, common sense beyond comprehension.

"Just leave it!" he snapped harshly, causing Mana to flinch.

When he finally got to his feet again, the weary man tried to stagger away from his friends, gaining a concerned look from two of the group. Varon however, no longer had any patience for such behavior to those trying to help.

"You're not...indestructable...so stop...acting like you are!" he muttered, but it ended in a loud uproar from the usually joking thief. The words were flowing freely from his lips, like molten lava from an erupting volcano, uncontrolled and unstoppable. And as such, it had a devastating consequence. "We're not, you're not, and I'll tell you something, your mum and brother certainly weren't when the magicians blew them sky high!"

That was when silence fell, and movement ceased.

Placing a hand on his mouth, Varon looked bewildered, as if he couldn't believe what he had just said. He could tell that Raphael and the magician apprentice felt the same, but it was the red haired male's expression he was fearful of; mainly because, from what he could see of the other's face, there was none.

"Amelda, look I didn't mean..." the brunette stuttered, but never got the chance to finish his sentence.

There were no outcries, no screams, no punches thrown. Only the sound of the trap door slamming shut as the brusied and battered mercenary made his escape to the attic room, leaving his two friends regretful, and the young girl lost for words.

It was only when the door shut behind him that Amelda screamed to himself, slamming his fist into the nearest wall in fury. Despite everything said however, all of his anger was directed at himself. It was not as if he wasn't annoyed at Varon's words. Quite rightly, he as furious! However, it was the memory of that day, and his lack of action, his mistakes that were knawing at his mind. It was that sense of failure, the same feeling he had towards his actions at Mana before, that was consuming him.

Just as he was regaining his composure, a familiar creak caused him to stiffen. He knew the trapdoor was opening, but he had little thought on how it was. At that point he didn't care; he just wanted to be alone.

"Look, will you just leave me-" he began to yell, but when he turned around, the sight of a teary-eyed Mana greet him, and Amelda instantly a sharp stabbing pain in his chest. His vocal chords numbed, and he suddenly felt overcome with a deep sense of self-loathing.

Lip trembling and hands shaking, Mana hesitated in the doorway. It wasn't that she was afraid of Amelda. The moment Varon had said what he said, an instant wave of confusion and shame had washed over her. _'His mother and his brother...killed...?'_

All of her life, Mana had been raised to believe that her people were noble and the people of the Dragon Kingdom were not. Although they were the ones in the wrong, she hadn't held it against the dragon people. Their Dictator started it, didn't he? Did not the stories told about that wicked man send shivers of fright in every young mage? It was why they had to fight against him and his followers, his people, because that was the only way. Peace treaties had remained unheard of, because of the intensity of the fighting...

Magicians vowed to take the road of honor and truth, that's what Master Mahaado always taught. They would not take innocent lives for revenge.

Or would they? _'No, my people wouldn't...'_

"Amelda..." she murmured. "Did my people really...?"

However, before the young girl had a chance to finish her sentence, she found herself pulled forward, colliding with another body. Strong arms wrapped around her form and clutched her tightly. She stilled as she heard a heartbest through the chest, heavy breath against her skin, as the other struggled to stay standing.

Whatever had possesed him to act this way again Amelda wasn't sure, but he just had to stop the conversation. He couldn't talk about it; no word had been uttered for nearly ten years, and he wasn't about to start. It was not due to distrust of Mana though. The theif simply couldn't handle thinking about the incident so long ago; the crashes, the screams, the blood...

Whatever issues he had, he would not impose them on a girl who could still maintain her beautiful innocence, even if it was only for a little longer.

"Just forget it okay?" he mumbled, fingers suddenly entangled in her soft strands of hair, as his head just rested on top of hers. "Trust me, you wouldn't want to hear about it."

She couldn't explain how being enveloped in Amelda's arms made her feel so safe, so full of warmth. Like magic, it simply was. Relief flooded over her in such a rush that a few more tears had escaped. _'He's not mad at me!'_ She buried her face in his chest and held him tightly as she took comfort from their closeness.

After a long pause, the magician girl said, "Okay, Amelda," but after another long pause, she added, "But I can listen if you ever need me to, all right?"

Then Mana looked up, giving him a shy smile. "We can still be friends, yes?"

"Of course," he replied quietly, barely acknowledging anything else around him. Her words barely registered in the back of his mind. Perhaps he was trying to block out anything that reminded him in the slightest of the conversation before, but for the moment, it didn't matter.

The awkwardness was gone, and he felt like a little part him was glowing in warmth due to to Mana's closeness. If he were in a normal state he probably would have been embarassed. Still, he couldn't deny...it felt...nice...

And so he continued to hold her. For the moment, everything was okay. The war, the pain, the fighting, it was all gone within that embrace.


	8. Chapter 7: Festival of Kites

Chapter Seven: Festival of Kites

Not many spies would have dared to infiltrate so deeply into Dictator Seto's territory, but the best two of Pharaoh's spies were driven to complete the special mission given to them. Dressed up in the guise of common Draconian monks, no one took a second look at the pair in their customary cloaks. It was a holy day, after all, and everyone was out and about for the festival.

They prowled the alleys, eyes alert and ears open for the possible thieves of their lost little mage.

Banners of dragons lined the Town Square and bright sapphire streamers, occasionally caught by the wind, decorated the stalls. Vendors were selling their finest wares: pewter statues, handcrafted jewellery, and elaborate tapestries. Incense wafted heavily from the temples, in honor of the Great Dragon and the warriors who sacrificed their lives for the kingdom.

Although the people enjoyed themselves, there was bitterness as well. No one dared to openly express such thoughts, for speaking against the war could be seen as treason. However, it could be seen in the faces of widows, orphans, and loners alike, whenever their expressions became haunted thinking of the ones who would never celebrate with them again. Loud talk and laughter pressed them into the shadows as the majority of the revellers were determined to have at least one day of happiness out of the months spent making war.

Hundreds of dragon kites, guided by children and adults on the ground, zoomed high in the air at midday. It was a unique tradition, solely practiced in the Dragon Kingdom.

As such, this meant that it was Mana's first time seeing the sky filled with such a rainbow of colored paper (though the primary color remained blue). She watched with awe from her room in the attic as dragons of all shapes and sizes flew with wild freedom, at times crossing the path of the setting sun.

Just as the two magician spies passed under her window, Mana pulled away from the spectacular sight in search of Amelda.

Meanwhile, said thief was gazing intently at the parchment with the new clue written on it, head in his hands. No matter how much he had tried to focus, no matter how he kept telling himself that the little disruption from before was past, he still found himself struggling to concentrate, and had yet to come up with any answer to the riddle. And of course, the Dictator wasn't well known for him patience, so that didn't help matters either.

"Well, we're off mate," Varon mumbled as he walked by the chair where his comrade was sitting. "With the festivities on, we can keep our fingers crossed he won't be so edgy tonight, but you better hurry up and solve that," he insisted, tapping the paper lightly as he walked away.

"He's right Amelda, we can't keep him distracted for too long. If we don't show results he might even come back for another surprise visit," Raphael warned.

With that, the red haired male could twitch slightly as he heard the door close softly, his friends away to the meeting with Dictator Seto. He knew they were right of course, the last time the wicked ruler had come by was a very close call. No doubt he was still suspicious, especially with Amelda constantly missing on meetings to watch Mana. The cruel and dominant man was cunning, enough to seize an entire country! In comparison, the mercenary was quite sure his intellect was nothing against the Dictator's, so there was little chance that he had fooled him completely.

Sighing, the man looked back at the paper, trying to think of anything that he could link to the location of the next tablet piece. He was so focused, he didn't even notice the other person creeping up behind him.

Mana had spent the previous moments after the other mercenaries had left hanging back on the stairs, just watching Amelda thinking about something, a slight frown crossing his lips. Frustration seemed to make the young man's face much older, though it couldn't take away the youthful determination in his eyes. _'Definitely looks like something really, really important he's reading. Maybe I shouldn't bother him?'_

While she was thinking that, her feet moved of their own accord, quietly tip-toeing over the space between them. _'Or maybe I should.'_ She smiled then. _'There's a festival out there, after all!'_

Impulsive as ever, the magician girl embraced him from behind. Unlike her other hugs, this time she didn't move away so quickly.

Instead Mana looked over Amelda's shoulder quite nosily (as her teacher would have pointed out) to get a glimpse at what he was reading. "Whatcha doing?"

Needless to say, the thief wasn't expecting to be taken by surprise, and the sudden feeling of arms around him made him almost jump out of his skin. Unfortunately, he had been tilting the chair he was sitting in, and in shock, fell off his seat, landing on the floor with a thump, and pulling Mana down with him.

As he shook himself to gain composture once more, he instinctively grabbed the parchment with the tablet clue on it and stuffed in promptly into his pocket before the mage could see anything written on it.

"Oh, um, sorry Mana. I was lost in thought, you scared me a bit," he stuttered nervously as he stood, before leaning down to help pull the girl to her feet once more.

"Whoops, I'm sorry too!" she giggled, taking his hand. Their tumble distracted Mana from inquiring further into Amelda's work, at least for the moment. As the servants at the palace could attest, her curiosity was as boundless as her energy, and just as difficult to keep up with. "Didn't mean to scare you, I promise."

Nervous butterflies decided to dance in her stomach at that very moment. She only wanted to ask him a question, but seeing him so startled made her hesitate for once. She didn't usually worry about pushing her luck; she usually knocked it boldly off the cliff to watch it fly. This time was different... and she didn't quite understand why yet.

She wanted to be more considerate with her requests, but she also wanted to find more excuses to spend time with Amelda.

Attempting to distract herself from these confusing thoughts, Mana put on a smile and looked to the window. "Looks like there's a festival today! Can we go and see it, or um, did you have stuff to do, 'cause I don't have to see it, I can watch it from upstairs or practice my spells and stuff..." She heard herself babbling once again.

Still, Amelda only smiled lightly at her clear excitement. Then again, he assumed that she had never seen anything quite like annual festival of the Dragon Kingdom. It was surprising though to think that the Magicians didn't have such festivities; if a ruler like the Dictator could allow such a joyous and happy holiday, you would expect the Pharaoh to hold an all year party.

Finally recognizing the question in the babbling, he tensed slightly. He was supposed to be working on the clue, since they didn't have a lot of time left to delay Seto. And yet, he felt a strong pang of guilt in having to tell Mana she couldn't go out and enjoy herself. She couldn't go about on her own, and she was his responsibility, plus he wasn't getting very far with the riddle anyway...

Varon and Raphael were going to kill him tomorrow.

"Well, I guess I can finish working later, if you want to go out for a little while," he suggested, before suddenly feeling himself being tackled, trapped in a strong embrace that caused his face to turn quite pink in color.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Even Mana couldn't believe how relieved and happy she was in that moment. The magician girl squeezed him extra tightly, as if she could infuse her joy to Amelda through her hugs. She realized that she _really_ wanted him to fell the same way she did. "We can see all the pretty kites together! It'll be so much fun, I know it will!"

Being so close at the time to the thief, she began to notice his scent. It wasn't bad at all; in fact, it reminded her of the magician warrior's back home, who'd train under the harsh eye of the sun, picking up the dust of the desert and the spice of the marketplace. There was something sweeter about his, though... making her all the more confused.

Each night she spent away from home, a darker feeling had begun to make itself known while she dreamt.

Homesickness.

Never had the little mage been so far from the palace, not even for a day. Now the days were catching up with her. Worries were fluttering around like frantic moths trapped in the cobwebs of her mind. Was the Prince all right? Did Mahaado miss her? What was happening in the Magician Kingdom? Were her fellow mages still engaged in battle?

_'No, no, I don't wanna think about home now,'_ Mana thought as she pulled away and took her captor's hand, leading him to the door with a pleasant, hopeful smile.

Amelda only had a moment to shake off the red tint in his face as he found himself being led towards the front door, quickly recalling how dark and cold the evenings had been getting. Despite her new disguise, Mana still stood out quite a bit amongst normal Dragon Kingdom citizens. And there was still the risk of someone coming to look for her...

"Wait," he said, stopping her before she could reach the door, quickly grabbing the long dark blue cloak hanging nearby, carefully wrapping around her form. "It's quite cold, I don't want you catching anything," he mumbled as he tied the ribbon at the collar. Still, he seemed more concerned for the mage's well being than his own, not even thinking of wearing something to keep himself warm.

Even so, as they finally got outside, climbed up on the newly saddled horse and rode into the town, all he could think of was to keep his arms safely around the girl, just in case she was feeling the late night chill.

In the Magician Kingdom, most people didn't continue working or loitering in the marketplace during the night. Only the guards on night duty remained awake as the weary escaped to private, more pleasant dreamscapes. This was not so for the people of the opposing kingdom. Wide-eyed with fascination, the little mage scanned the revellers and tried to take in everything at once. The music, the chants, the dragon masks...

Prince had told her about the parades in her homeland, but she had never been allowed to attend them. "When you're older," Mahaado had always promised each year at the summer solstice, and each year, Mana had to watch from afar.

This time, in this unlikely place, she could be a part of it, a part of something special.

Some distance behind the two newcomers to the party, a monk gestured to his partner, whispering frantically, "I think that's her."

The spies kept walking slowly through the crowd, heads still bowed beneath their cloaks. "Are you sure, Amon?"

"Yes, Rasui." With Amon's tone, the other didn't have to ask twice. Amon knew Mana's features relatively well, seeing her from time to time during the years he also studied under the wing of the Pharaoh's advisor Mahaado. He caught the profile of her face and her familiar blue eyes. "We need to move closer before she gets off the horse, so we can she where she's going..."

"And who she's travelling with," Rasui noted ominously. _'Her kidnapper? Taking her to the Dictator now?'_

They attempted to quicken their pace without drawing notice from the crowds. It seemed they would soon have their chance as the mysterious rider made his horse slow down...

That flicker of movement temporarily caught Amelda's eyes, and he turned his head suddenly to see any sign of disturbance. However, all that he could see behind him was the mob of happy and excited people, celebrating to the full.

_'Must have imagined it,'_ he thought to himself. He had been working hard of late, with still no idea what the riddle that would lead to the tablet piece meant, so it was no surprise he was seeing things. Maybe taking Mana to the festival was a good idea after all; he could at least relax a little, then go back to work with a clear head.

As they finally stopped, Amelda jumped off the horse's back, before gently helping the magician out of the saddle, enjoying the warmth from her form as he held her for that moment, before placing her on the ground.

"So, where would you like to go first?" he smiled at her, falling into a state of blissful unawareness that he hadn't enjoyed in years.

"Hmm..." Mana couldn't help but glow in the light of Amelda's smile. Needing no more encouragement than that, she took his hand and began to pull him through the crowd.

They didn't have to go far before coming upon a fascinating attraction. Four musicians poured their hearts into the music of their culture and ancestors with instruments made of wood and metal. Drums beat a wild tattoo while the flutes weaved a song that could bring tears one moment and laughter the next. Mana recognized the instruments from similar ones she knew the court musicians used, but the flutes sounded like nothing she had ever heard before in her country.

_'I wish the Prince could hear these. Oh, oops, not supposed to think about that.'_ Building up yet another layer to keep away thoughts of home, Mana swiftly turned to Amelda and said, "Dance with me, Amelda!"

Meanwhile, Amon kept losing sight of the lost mage. The people were no help either, surging in droves at very inconvenient moments.

All the while, the couple were completely oblivious to anything strange, too lost in the festive enjoyments.

Well, Mana was. Amelda on the hand was trying to fully comprehend what had just been asked of him by the young mage.

"Um, dancing isn't really my strong suit," he stuttered, but immediately felt guilty for any disappointment he would make Mana feel at his words. He had offered to take her out to have fun, and spend time with her, so it was rather unfair to deny such a simple request.

Still, the thought of having the girl in arms, holding hands, pressed close to him...could he trust himself after what occurred the last time they were in town together?

After a moment of thought, Amelda sighed deeply. One look at Mana and he knew he would cave in anyway, why fight the inevitable.

Gently taking her hands, he pulled her closer into the dancing position smiling. "But I suppose I can make an exception for today."

Two thoughts briefly crossed Mana's mind; one, that the dancing style was different in this kingdom, and two, that she had never danced with a young man like this before. For a moment, she panicked that she wouldn't know what to do or where to step, or that she'd make Amelda or herself look like fools...

Once the musicians began to play a new song, however, her worries disappeared, as if a spell had been cast over them.

This was definitely a different kind of magic. His warmth, their movement together as if they were one spirit, and the dreamy quality quickly spreading over the evening...

Sadly, this was broken by snickers and giggles coming from the nearby crowds. Youths, probably no older than Mana, Amelda thought, were watching the pair dancing from a distance, whispering to each other with wicked glints in their eyes.

Instinctively, the thief's grip on the mage's frame tightened slightly, hoping Mana was enjoying herself too much to notice the attention they were receiving. He was unsure if etiquette and discretion was so strict in the Magician Kingdom, but he knew quite well how critical the Dictators subjects could be on such matters. Public displays of closeness or affection were subjects of gossip and scandal, and the young woman caught up in such things were seen in a less than innocent light. It was cruel and ridiculous!

But as the beat drifted through the evening air, the mercenary found his resolve comforted and strengthened by the music. With a final defiant glare to chase away the lingering teenagers, Amelda twirled the girl around in his arms and brought them into close proximity, swaying gently together, lost in the rhythm...

He could handle a little embarrassment at the moment.

_'Where_ is _she?'_ Amon cursed silently. Fighting his instincts to push through the crowd was difficult. Luckily, he hadn't been trained as a spy overnight and made no expression or sign of his desperation.

"She's not from around here, that's for certain!" an irritated female's voice hissed. The words turned Amon's head. "If she's with that boy, it means trouble..."

An older woman, mother of one of the teenagers ogling Mana, was gossiping with another friend at the edge of the crowd. Rasui overheard her as well and was just in the right position to see the ones she was disapprovingly pointing at. After a nod from his partner, Rasui made his move.

Meanwhile, even though the song was ending, Mana's heart was still singing about how it had never felt so alive before Amelda. To think, if they hadn't met, if her spell hadn't accidentally caused the temple to collapse, she wouldn't be on this little adventure. She'd still be cooped up, waiting in the palace for her day to enter the war. Instead, she was here, with the thief who had kind hands and sad eyes.

People began applauding the musicians for their song and cheering praise for more. Amon caught up with Rasui, who was about to reach out to pull the girl away quickly.

"No! That's not her!" He grabbed Rasui away from the mistaken couple and pointed in Mana's direction, about a dozen feet away. It was as close as they had been able to get to her, but with so many people around them, the distance to her rescue seemed much farther.

In that moment, of course, Mana had decided that one dance had been enough for her. "Amelda, I see something over there! Let's check it out, okay?"

Any uncertainties and displeasure the thief had been harboring due to the nosy villagers quickly evaporated at her words. Smiling, Amelda allowed himself to be dragged from the square as the music began once more, watching happily as Mana giggled gleefully, eyes alight in wonder at the sights around her.

Despite moving through the busy crowds, it felt like they had their own little world, constantly content and connected by their interlinked hands.

Finally, the mage stopped in front a small stall, the mercenary turning his gaze towards her as she ceased walking. Looking down at her, Amelda's expression became one of concern, seeing the slight, subtle change in the girl's demeanor. Her bubbly happiness faded for a moment as she looked at the items on display, a flicker of an emotion the male couldn't quite place in those large blue eyes. It was as if the light from the lanterns above was reflecting a small ripple of water across the magician's azure irises.

Was that...sadness?

"Mana, what's wrong, are you all right?" he asked softly, giving her hand a light squeeze.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, it's just..." She quickly rubbed the few tears that had been threatening to form from her eyes with her free hand. A smile re-appeared on her lips, but it wasn't quite as happy as it normally was. "That pendant reminded me of the ones we have back home..."

Her finger traced the face of the moon, the Dragon Kingdom's symbol etched in silver. A memory broke through her defences - one of warmth, one of a woman holding a golden pendant above Mana's head. It wasn't as bright as the actual sun, but the smiling icon was just as beautiful.

She had no idea where the memory had come from...

"Are you buying that?" a terse voice demanded. The girl shook her head as she retracted her hand from the pendant and moved closer to Amelda.

Looking softly at her as her hand moved slowly away for the pendant on display, the thief gently put his hand on her shoulder in reassurance. The message seemed to be pretty clear; she was beginning to miss her own people, her kingdom, her home.

Inwardly, he cursed himself. They really should have made more effort to get Mana back home by now. Still, with the Dictator being so nosy of late, slipping her across the border was not going to be easy. Not to mention, if they just dropped her back at the palace, he doubted the Pharaoh or his Magician followers would let them leave quietly.

He knew what had to be done, and yet, out of all the reasons and issues for returning the girl, there was still something that bothered him, something he couldn't quite place. Yes, the soft ache in his chest, the one that flared up every time he thought of riding away and never seeing Mana again...

Shaking himself back to his senses, he fixed his gaze on the piece of jewellery before turning to the mage again. "Would you like me to buy it for you?"

Mana thought about it for a moment, then resolutely shook her head. The offer had touched her, but she thought, _'I don't wanna bother him with silly trinkets! Silly trinkets that make me think of home and…'_ Well, he needed the money more, anyway.

She looked up at him with a grateful smile. "Thank you anyway, Amelda, that was really sweet of..."

Movement beyond the crowd distracted her, drawing her eyes away. She gasped and said, "Look at that! Let's go see them!" Once again, she led Amelda to the new attraction, excitement returning to race through her limbs and activate her hyperactive imagination.

Amon, desperate to catch up with the 'captive' mage, launched himself towards the stall. Instead of reaching the elusive couple, the magician spy tripped on his robes and fell, face-first, into the neighboring stall selling dumplings. Food flew everywhere and people laughed at the flailing monk before his partner finally pulled him away, fearful that the owner would cause a scene.

Fortune smiled on them then, however, as the chaos caused by the fall gave no one a chance to see the guilty monk's face. Cursing himself for having to admit defeat, Amon melted with Rasui into the shadows of an alley.

The little mage had been far enough away to not notice the commotion behind them. Her eyes were on the skies, filled with the wings of dragon kites. "Aren't they amazing?! All of those kites, and all the beautiful colors!"

They flew high above the spectators while controllers on the ground guided their colorful dance.

"Those colors remind me of something...like the paintings in the palace," Mana mused.

The musing of the young magician barely registered in the thief's mind at that moment. He was just grateful she seemed happy again, even though she was still clearly feeling homesick and trying to ignore it. He really wouldn't have minded getting the pendant for her, but he couldn't force her to accept it either. Perhaps there was something else he could get for her to make her feel less upset...

Still, seeing her smile and marvel at the sights before her was enough for the moment, as he gazed fondly in return.

Finally recognizing the fact she had been speaking, his curiosity perked slightly, turning to her with an expression of questioning.

"Paintings? There are such things in the palace?" he blurted out before he could stop himself. It all seemed so strange to him. In his many visits to the stronghold of the Dictator he was used to seeing the bland and blank walls. The idea of colorful images decorating a structure was not something Seto would approve of, that was for certain, and to Amelda himself, the concept was rather bizarre.

"Oh, yeah! Almost every wall is covered with them!" said Mana. "My favorite ones are in the hallway next to the library. They were done by an ancient Pharaoh, I forget his name, and he was the first one to paint murals in the palace. He loved art so very much, and because of his passion, all my people still love art, too."

That was a part of a story the Prince used to tell her when they were younger. It made her so proud to be a magician at the time, before she had to train for the war. She yawned and wrapped her arms around herself in a comforting self-hug.

"I hope they always will, too," she murmured, her eyelids starting to feel heavy.

"Oh, that's very..." Amelda was about to reply, when suddenly, something clicked inside his head.

The third line of the clue...didn't it say...

_'The first one to paint', yes! The next piece, it must have something to do with that Pharaoh! I'm sure I could figure something out, and then..._ he thought to himself, before finally noticing the tired look on Mana's face. Momentarily side-tracking from his train of thought, he smiled slightly before placing an hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, you look tired, ready to go home?" he asked, still pondering over the new development in his mind. However, he had to admit, it was now second to the sleepy girl standing next to him.

She yawned again and rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, I think I am..."

Too tired to think how it might look otherwise, Mana leaned against her thief for support. As they began walking "home," she wondered if she would really see hers again, and if the war would ever see a peaceful end.

The horse didn't have such thoughts, but he did watch them with an almost accusing eye and snort, as if to ask, "What took you so long?"

Once again ignoring any funny looks cast in their direction, Amelda carefully helped Mana up into the saddle, before settling behind her and taking the reigns.

As his mind drifted during the ride back to the house, he felt the weight on his chest become heavier, seeing the young mage had fallen asleep already. Smiling, he pulled her into a stronger hold so she wouldn't fall off the horse, but gentle as not to wake her.

She just looked so peaceful, innocent...

And that made him feel even more guilty for what he would have to do once the sun went down.


End file.
